Marriage for a Million
by missyromanticme15
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki thought she'd be stuck waiting tables at Urahara's diner until her debts are paid off -in about ten thousand years or so. She definitely didn't expect a marriage proposal from the billionaire Ichigo Kurosaki who was blackmailed by his father to make his wife if he didn't want his least favorite cousin to run Kurosaki Industries. IchiRuki/GrimmNel. AU
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Bleach obviously not mine. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

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Chapter One : ''A million is something you just can't turn away.''

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Rukia threw out the spoiled milk that morning. She made her own trail mix from crumbs at the bottom of the soda cracker box, some unsweetened chocolate chips from her dwindling baking supplies, and a handful of expired mixed nuts. After chasing down a half-bowl of it with a cup of black coffee, She got dressed and started her walk to the bus stop for her five a.m. shift at Urahara's.

The diner was a historical icon that both old and new players of the money-trade industry respected and patronized. It's kitchen served hot and greasy breakfast from six-thirty to eleven in the morning and lunch from eleven to three. Once the markets closed, Urahara's separate lounge came to life - a perfect chaos of televised sports events, alcohol and hot wings.

Isane poked her head into the lunch room earlier where Rukia was taking a short break and reading a local tabloid, and told her that Mr. Kurosaki was asking for her specifically. That confused her because everyone knew Isshin and referred to him by his first name. He also never came on Saturday mornings. Rukia tossed the core of the apple she'd been munching on, washed her hands, and headed out to the dining area. Scanning the room, she found Isshin's usual spot, which was in a corner booth by the window, empty.

Isane must've made a mistake but she couldn't possibly miss the old man.

"Rukia, over there," Isane called out to her from the prep bar where she was sorting her orders. She cocked her head to the side in the direction of the back most corner booth on the complete opposite side of the diner from where Isshin's usual spot would be. Rukia's brows furrowed further at Isane's wide eyes and nervous shrug.

\- Jeez. This couldn't be any odder. -

Isshin was such a flirty, adorable, old man and all the girls here loved him. Rukia haven't seen Isshin in about a week actually but that wasn't always surprising. He was a pretty busy and important man and they always figured that he was away on business trips when he wouldn't show up for several days.

"Hey, Issh - "

Rukia stopped cold, her eyes narrowing at the man sitting in the booth, impatiently tapping his fingers on the laminate countertop. "You are not Mr. Kurosaki," Rukia blurted out, accusation in her voice.

The man's thick, brow rose at her statement and she got the full effect of his arrogance before his mouth even opened. "Excuse me?" he demanded.

Crossing her arms, Rukia pursed her lips and studied him. He had thick, light orange hair - weird- that curled softly around his ears and the nape of his neck, a prominent, perfectly straight and narrow nose, a strong jaw, and a pair of dark hazel eyes that were currently flickering with disdain as he returned her inspection. He was definitely an attractive man—the coloring of his hair and eyes were seductive while the condescending tilt of his full, wide mouth was a little maddening.

"Isane said Mr. Kurosaki specifically asked for me," Rukia explained impatiently. "I'm looking at you and you're definitely not him."

A frown started between his brows and never left. "I am definitely Mr. Kurosaki— Ichigo Kurosaki, to be precise."

Based on the tailoring and materials of his dark blue sports jacket and white shirt, he was definitely rich and showed it well—nothing less than she expected of him. But there was nothing about him at all that reminded her of Isshin who had, happy eyes and a goofy smile.

Rukia rolled her eyes and sighed. "Ah, yes. The younger, more ambitious, less charming Mr. kurosaki. Nice to meet you."

Oh yes, she knew of Ichigo Kurosaki, alright. He was splattered all over the media since he was the heir apparent to Kurosaki Industries and its current president. He was ruthless in business, well in demand at social functions, and easy on the eye to top it all off. Since she was friends with Isshin, she'd heard enough about him—both good and bad—but he just always seemed like a character in a manga that she'd read over and over again and who always stayed confined to the pages.

He looked at the hand she extended, as if it were a snake about to spring forward and coil around his neck, before he briefly shook it. "Sarcasm isn't the most polite of greetings, Ms Kuchiki," he answered in a tone brittle with annoyance as he quickly released her hand. "You aren't so charming yourself."

"And you just made a hypocrite of yourself with that sarcastic comment. Now we're even."

Anger flared in his gold-flecked, brown eyes. "Not even close. Why don't you take a seat and we'll discuss business."

Rukia shook her head. "I don't believe we have any business together, Mr. Kurosaki. And I have work to do. Isane will come by and take your order when you're ready. Good day—"

She had just turned when his arm shot out and grabbed her elbow in an iron grip. She glanced at it and narrowed her eyes at him. "I would let go if I were you. No one would blink an eye here if I break your nose for touching me."

His gaze darkened, his grip not loosening one bit. "I wouldn't threaten men who are twice your size if I were you, Ms. Kuchiki. After all, even a well-oiled bike breaks down after so many men have ridden it."

Red flashed in her vision and before Rukia knew it, she threw a punch. Her fist grazed his jaw before punching into air and before she could react, he was on his feet, grabbing her by the shoulders, propelling her into the booth, and settling himself in front of her so she was trapped between him and the table. He was much larger and stronger than Rukia thought, and he looked downright furious.

"Let go of me, you ass!" Rukia yelled at him as she struggled to push him off the seat, but he was pure muscle under the shirt and jacket that he didn't budge an inch. "You're an arrogant, offensive cockhead and I'm not wasting my time on you."

"Stop swearing!" he hissed at her, aware that heads popped up at Rukia's raised voice. "I don't want to talk with you any more than you want to talk with me, but we're in a mess that you created and I want you to fix it."

That got her attention.

Rukia stopped struggling and stared at him as if he sprouted a horn—make that two horns since he was probably the devil. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes, releasing her. "You very well know what I'm talking about, Ms. Kuchiki. Didn't you plan all of this out? Play my father right into your hands so he would do anything you asked, including blackmailing his own son so you can get what you want?"

She frowned. "I'll give you exactly ten seconds to explain yourself before I scream murder. My friends down at the precinct aren't very fond of pervs and bullies like you."

Watching his jaw clench, a muscle ticking under his left eye, Rukia realized just how angry Ichigo Kurosaki was. There was no humor for him in all of this, and he was barely restraining himself from reaching over and wringing her neck. As to why he was mad at her, she didn't know.

 _\- Be the adult Kuchiki. attempt a civil conversation even if the man is a total ape. -_

"Let's try this again," Rukia said in a calmer tone. "What are you here for? Tell me as if I'm hearing this for the first time because I bet I am. Please and thanks." She was proud of her perfectly pleasant statement but it seemed to infuriate him further because he dragged in a deep, loud breath as if fighting for control.

"I'm here to propose marriage, Ms. Kuchiki," he said in a grave voice as if he just announced a death sentence—for whom, that she wasn't sure about.

Rukia blinked a few times before she grinned and lost it, throwing her head back laughing.

"What exactly is so hilarious about the situation, Ms. Kuchiki?" he demanded.

Clutching her stomach, Rukia shook her head as she tried to stem the flow of her laughter. She brushed a few tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand and looked at him.

Well, the man looked serious—or had an excellent poker face.

"I'm sorry," Rukia said. "I thought I just heard you say you were here to propose marriage to me. Who put you up to this? Isshin? Where's that sly old man so I can give him his payback for this?"

"My father is in London right now," he answered, still without any humor. "He left two days ago with a warning that if we're not engaged yet by the time he arrived in a week, he would put forward my cousin, Kaien Shiba, as the new CEO of Kurosaki Industries when he retires later this year."

The smile vanished from her mouth as it hung open while his statement replayed in her head. It took a moment before she finally understood what he said. Her brows shot up. "Why the hell would Isshin do that?"

He raised one brow himself. "You call him Isshin like that and you wonder why? Obviously my father is smitten with a teenage gold-digger like you, but instead of marrying you himself, he throws you at me because you probably prefer younger meat."

"If by younger meat you mean yourself, no, thank you," Rukia said acidly, now seething at his insults. "You're obviously made of vile, unpleasant stuff and would be most likely hard to chew on, considering how much of a stiff-ass you are. I would marry Isshin over you any time, except that I don't marry men who are like a father to me because that's just wrong in so many levels. And if you knew your father really well, you'd know that he will never marry anyone else. He can't lose a heart he'd already lost to Masaki a long time ago."

Isshin was a widower after his wife, Masaki died of an aneurysm four years ago. They have a son, which this man is , and three daughters. One was adopted was Isshin told her.

"Then explain to me why he insists that I marry you," he spat out. "Explain why he's willing to go as far as to threaten me out of a position I've worked hard to earn for as long as I could remember. Explain why marrying a nineteen-year-old, foul-mouthed, punch-throwing diner waitress is worth everything I'm already entitled to."

Rukia scoffed. "If you think that way, then you don't deserve anything that you're already entitled to. As for your father's actions, I suggest you ask him because I certainly didn't decree for him to do this. In fact, I'll give him a piece of my mind when I see him—for this completely ridiculous idea, and for putting me through the traumatic experience of having to deal with you."

"You will not tell my father anything except that you've accepted my proposal," He said. "He specifically instructed that you're not to be informed of any of this—that I must convince you to marry me without bribery or coercion."

"Well, now I can see why you won't make a good CEO," Rukia muttered. "Not only are you incapable of following instructions, you're also a cheat. Plus, you're just so effortlessly offensive."

He scowled. "I'm only offensive to opportunists like you who play an old, idiot man right into their plans."

"Idiot?" She asked with a loud, wry laugh. "You really think Isshin is an idiot? You're the one who's an idiot if you think that of him. And as much as I'd like to take the credit for being so cunning, I'm afraid I can't, because if I were really that good in plotting out to marry well, I'd certainly choose someone more pleasant than you are."

"Many things can be made pleasant with a lot of money, Ms. Kuchiki," he sneered. "And I happen to know I'm the biggest catch around here. I'm also not old, bald, fat and strung with a few ex-wives who demand ridiculous alimonies."

She raised a brow at him. "Well, you've certainly got an ego to match your bank account. You must absolutely hate having to grovel at your father's feet for the CEO position, and subject yourself to his whims."

His fists clenched. "What I absolutely hate is providing opportunists like you the chance to take advantage of someone because I need you for something I'm working hard to achieve. But I'm pragmatic, Ms. Kuchiki. Instead of quarreling with you, I'd rather we come to an amicable business agreement that will give us both what we want."

Kneading the space between her brows, Rukia snuck a glance at him. "I'm listening because it's less effort for me than to try to dent the table with you pretty face."

His lips twitched that for a second she thought he was about to smile, but it disappeared so quickly she wasn't even sure she'd seen it in the first place.

"I'll agree with my father's condition and marry you," he started and she clamped down on her protests until he was done. If she let her mouth run away with her, they'd never be done here. Rukia might just kill him before she could walk away from this table. "But I want you to insist on a pre-nup which he didn't want us to have, and I want us to only stay married for a year which was the minimum period he'd accept. Don't ask me why because I don't know what he thinks can be gained out of this to begin with, much less a year into it," he continued.

She put a hand up to stop him, unable to keep a lid on it any longer. "If I were really the opportunist you think I am, why the hell would I agree to a pre-nup that I'm sure would give me nothing, if left to your lawyers to craft?"

"Because I will pay you for your services, Ms. Kuchiki," he said curtly. "I will pay you a million to stay married to me for a year."

Her jaw almost dropped.

A million. That's six zeroes -more zeroes than she got in her bank account before the negative sign. Then Rukia remembered Isshin's goofy, smiling face.

The man was more of a father to her than her own had been. After years of sitting with him while he ate his breakfast at Urahara's and listening to him talk about anything under the sun—whether it was a merger or a lovely memory of Masaki or a few amusing antics by his children—they became good, old friends.

A pang of guilt hit her.

"No, I can't," Rukia said with difficulty because, although she fiercely felt too much loyalty for the old man to do anything like that to him, a million dollars was a fortune for someone like her who had less than nothing.

"No?" He repeated in surprise. Then his eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't be so hasty if I were you, Ms. Kuchiki. A million is a lot of money which I know you are in dire need of."

This time, Rukia's own hands clenched into fists. "You don't know anything about me, Mr. Kurosaki."

He shrugged smugly, that bastard. "Oh, I know enough, Ms. Kuchiki. I know, for example, that your father's death left you in a boat-load of debt. The house is currently under water. It's six months behind on the mortgage, and at risk of being foreclosed again after you managed to save it a year ago when you assumed the mortgage yourself. You racked up quite a bit of your own personal debt after your short stint at an art school in Tokyo, and you've sold everything that you could to make some dent on it but you're barely covering the interest. You want to go back to Tokyo and complete your apprenticeship, but you don't even have enough money to get groceries if your recent trips to the food bank are an indication. You're doubling your efforts around the wealthy men who come into Urahara's for better tips, but I doubt that they ever leave you with enough to get you by comfortably."

Her cheeks were so hot with humiliation that they probably resembled ripe tomatoes. Rukia stewed quietly where she sat, glaring at the man and hoping that if she did it hard enough, it would eventually cause him to catch fire and explode.

"I didn't realize you deigned to research a foul-mouthed, punch-throwing diner waitress, a teenage gold-digger, such as myself," Rukia said slowly through gritted teeth. "I could say I'm honored but right now I just feel disgusted by how low you would stoop to get what you want, throwing someone's hardships in her face, to push your cause."

Something flickered in his eyes for a moment before he scowled at her. "I wouldn't have to if you didn't poison my father's brain with this idea. I'm merely pointing out how this could benefit you, , and satisfy my father's demands, and achieve my own goals as well. We all win."

"No, only you win," She said with a snort. "Don't delude yourself that you're doing everyone a favor. For one, you're cheating your father who must have some reason for this demand, preposterous as it may be, and defeating his very purpose in it. Second, you're insulting me with the offer of a million when I truly need it, but not at the price of my integrity or self-respect—or even my sanity because to stay married to you for a year would drive me absolutely bananas. And third, you degrade yourself and your honor by doing everything that you're doing right now—going around your father's back, sacrificing your own conscience and freedom to secure something as material as the title of CEO tacked on to your name when you already have more than you can ever possibly need, and dragging someone into this mess with you when she can be doing more to better her situation than sit around with you and plot against your father—a man that she has the utmost respect for." Rukia took in a deep breath after that rant, feeling incredibly better.

Although his expression had mostly shut down as she was going off at him, his eyes held a glimmer of surprise.

"I wouldn't worry about my conscience, Ms. Kuchiki, considering my father isn't too concerned about his own when he devised this plan with your inspiration, surely," he shot back, no less intense than he had been moments ago. He seemed more riled up actually but Rukia imagined it didn't take much to push Kurosaki off the edge. He portrayed none of the cool, confident composure he was constantly credited for whenever the media speculated about him. "As for insulting you, it's your decision however you'd like take my assessment of your character, and I think that a million is something you can't turn away, no matter your integrity, because integrity will not feed you or put a roof over your head when you're thrown out on the streets," he added. "I could just cut you out of this deal and find another way around my father's demands but I figured this would be easier and best for everyone. It doesn't have to get ugly, you know? Think like a business woman and not like a teenage romantic. You'll find yourself making more practical choices."

"Like you do, obviously," She retorted with a roll of her eyes. "I bet there's not a romantic bone in your body, Mr. Kurosaki—just the cold, mercenary desire to make more money than you could ever possibly need."

He laughed but although his voice was deep and rich, it was harsh and ironic. "While I don't deny that I like making money, Ms. Kuchiki, most of this is simply to avoid more conflict with my father who is deteriorating in health. If you know my father as well as you imply you do, you should know that he's not in good shape."

Her ready response lurched back into her throat and she swallowed hard. He was right. Isshin had looked older and more frail when she first saw him again after she returned to Karakura. He was still a goofy, wily old man who had sunshine in his smile but he had been thinner and more tired than Rukia remembered. Time had been quickly catching up with him after he lost his wife.

"Wouldn't it be worse then, to cheat him like this?" She asked quietly. "Isshin will be so disappointed in me if he finds out I'd do something as despicable as this to him. He'll never forgive me."

"My father's disappointment weighs more heavily on you than a million?" He asked in confusion. "I'm no longer surprised why you're so poor, Ms. Kuchiki. Did you let your father dig himself further into debt because you couldn't bear to deprive him of whatever made him happy, no matter how bad it was for him?"

"Don't you dare speak about my father," Rukis warned him in a low, angry voice.

He scoffed. "He wasted his life away, drinking until it killed him, yet you display such loyalty? Aren't you up to your eyeballs in debt because of him?"

"Whatever kind of life my father lived bore no impact on yours, so you can withhold your judgement because no one needs it," She snapped. "As for your father, he's a good man and deserves none of this."

"And I deserve none of his manipulation!" he shot back. "Everything was fine with my life until he decided to drop this bomb on me, and now I have to rearrange my entire existence to accommodate a wife I did not require nor find convenient to begin with. Not only that, I don't get a say in the woman I'm supposed to marry at all. Of all of the women he could choose, he decided that you would be the perfect candidate—but you're too young, too rough on the edges, too temperemental, too raunchy in that tiny uniform, and too much of a pain in the ass."

"Well, I'm glad to be superlative in some ways," Rukia muttered sarcastically. "But yes, you're right. I'm definitely not the best choice to be your wife. I'm way too hot for you, too good, too honest and generous a person for someone as greedy as you are, too real to spend time in the company of conniving folks such as yourself, and too pissed off at you to ever consider tying myself to you in marital union, much less stay in the same room as you."

His eyes glinted in anger. "Ms. Kuchiki—"

"You've used up the ten seconds I gave you about ten minutes ago, Mr. Kurosaki, and I'm done. Now, I have to get back to my job," Rukia announced, standing up and leaping up over the seats so she could crouch her way out of the booth across the top of the table.

Rukia walked away because she was about to do something she would likely regret for the rest of her life. Ichigo Kurosaki wasn't the man she imagined, but he was another one that let her down, and that stung most of all.

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me: Welcome fanfic readers, first I'm a new Bleach fan just finished the anime, manga and the movies. It was totally awesome and i found myself addicted to it, and yaeh the ending maybe was a bit disappointment but the rest was just amazing! and i've fallen inlove with ichiRuki pairing after reading a lot of fics about them here. And after reading funnyeasyme's 'accidentally in love" I'm inspired to upload one. This story is inspired by my cousin's idea. And we are co-writing this.

This story is free and reviews is all we want for our hard work ..

Please Review! So I'll knew if there's someone reading this.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the favs: Ichiruki4vr / Vertius / ZiggySmallz / enzeroo6/ kimmiswink69/ kleinegirl7.

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to Ninya.

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Chapter Two: "Money can make hell seem like heaven.''

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Rukia groaned as she kept refreshing the browser page and got the same message over and over again saying that she have no internet connection. It was her day off the next day and after sleeping in a little, she got up, ate a chocolate bar she grabbed from Urahara's snack room yesterday, and sat down in front of her laptop to check on some job listings. She needed a second job or something better-paying than her current one.

After her connections and power-cycling her wireless modem, Rukia grabbed her cellphone and called the cable company. She didn't have cable or phone but she kept the internet service, the cheapest and slowest she could possibly get.

"Hi, I'm just wondering why you guys cut my internet off," Rukia said nicely when a girl picked up twenty minutes later. She asked for all her information and reluctantly, Rukia gave them to her. She didn't even know why she was calling. She knew the answer.

"Ms. Kuchiki, the reason you were disconnected is because we haven't received a payment from you last month and what had been current had just rolled over to a past due today. If you can pay us the overdue, we will be able to reconnect your service for you," The woman said and Rukia sighed out loud.

After she hung up, she went into her web-banking account and grimaced at the negative balance. Rukia was in overdraft on her checking account and her small line of credit was already maxed out. Even with her paycheck from the diner's coming in a week, she wouldn't have enough to rise above the water. The internet bill was only one of the many unpaid ones Rukia had stacked up on the kitchen table.

\- I can have a million if I just put up with Ichigo Kurosaki for a year. -

It wasn't the first time she recalled it since yesterday. In fact, his outrageous offer kept popping up in her head every fifteen minutes.

A million would definitely get her out of debt and set her up comfortably. It could put her through art school and still leave her with enough to start her own small Gallery. All Rukia had to give up was a year of her life.

\- That plus my principles, my sanity and possibly my virtue. -

Despite his awful behavior yesterday, Rukia highly doubted that she would be able to fight her attraction to the man while living with him for a year. There was no mention about the more intimate parts of the marriage he proposed but recalling how enthralled he was with her, she didn't think he'd want to exercise his husbandly rights. She didn't want to go there either because so many things about it will just be so wrong—They didn't love each other, he's paying her to marry him and everything will just be a pretense.

\- It's like being an exclusive, high-class prostitute who gets a ring on my finger as temporary as my last name. -

The thought immediately doused any interest Rukia had in the money. Sure, the money would make everything easier but she wasn't too far gone yet.

Rukia dialed a number on her phone again. "Hey, Kisuke. Do you need any shifts picked up today?"

An hour later, Rukia was waiting on tables at the diner. It was lunch time—a busy couple of hours—and the tips were good. The bustle also took her mind off two of the biggest things that kept bothering her—Ichigo and Bills. Her good mood soured a little when she saw a man walk into the diner and stand by the elevated entrance, scanning the crowd. His face lit up when his eyes fell on her and she inwardly cringed.

Di-roy Rinker was a junior partner in one of the top law firms in the city. He was young and vile. He was always a little too over-friendly with the waitresses at Urahara's but he especially held a disconcerting interest in Rukia. He'd asked her out many times. He'd pay the other waitresses extra tips if they agree to always give her whichever table he was at. She never complained because he would always leave anywhere from fifty to a hundred for a tip which no person in his right mind would do if he didn't want some 'extra service'.

He smiled at her, his eyes raking down her body and Rukia fought the urge to shudder and take off. She returned his smile and spotted the table he pointed to.

\- Just endure it. If you play nice with him today, he might just give you enough to pay your internet bill. -

Rukia felt a little nauseous. Despite her protestations about striking a deal with Kurosaki to play his wife in exchange for a million, she was pushing close to the line by sucking it up and letting men ogle her and flirt with her for larger tips. So much for her principles.

"Hello, Mr. Rinker," Rukia greeted as she came over to his table with her notepad. "How are you doing?"

His eyes strained on her breasts which were molded by her tight shirt before looking up and smiling at her. "Better now that you're here. You're looking good, Ruks. You've really filled out that cute, little uniform perfectly."

Rukia's feet tickled with the urge to flee but she just shifted her weight between them and gave him a tight smile. "Thanks. Now, you want the usual or something different today?"

"Something different, Maybe give me that pulled pork sandwich with fries and some hot peppers. I'm in the mood to indulge in something a little decadent and hot."

Rukia nearly rolled her eyes as she wrote down the order and finally stepped back. "Alright. I'll be back with your usual Coke in a minute."

She did her best to ignore Di-roy throughout his lunch but he wasn't an easy customer. He kept calling her over for the littlest things, taking advantage of every opportunity to openly leer at her. He was gone when she came by his table to do a final check and a hundred bill was tucked in receipt book.

Rukia kept telling herself it was worth it, no matter how sick it made her feel.

Wanting a breath of fresh air now that the diner had mostly cleared out, She stepped out to the back alley, grabbing one of the trash bins on her way to empty into the dumpster. She had just set it down and was stretching her arms over her head when a noise startled her.

"Mr. Rinker, What are you doing here?" Rukia asked nervously as the man stepped through the back door and walked toward her. The alley was usually pretty empty except for the occasional employee who would step out for a smoke.

"I was in the washroom when you came by to clear my table," he answered casually. "I didn't think I should just leave without saying goodbye."

Rukia tried not to back away as he closed the distance between them. Even if she did, there wasn't a lot of room because the dumpster was a foot away behind her.

"Well, you've seen me. Thanks for stopping by today," She said with a forced laugh, starting to back up a step. She glanced at the closed door. "I should probably get back to work anyway."

"Now, come on, Ruks," he cajoled, smiling suggestively, taking another step closer to her. "What's a few minutes? You have time for me, don't you? I'm your best-paying customer."

Rukia frowned at him, her hand slipping into her pocket. "If you want your money back, I'm happy to give it to you. Just... Just back off!"

Her control was completely gone now.

She didn't like the lecherous gleam in his eyes and the way he kept stalking her as she backed up. When she felt the cold, hard steel of the dumpster on her back, Rukia snapped. 5

"Here you go," She said, slapping the bill on his chest. He made no move to catch it so it fluttered to the ground, her gaze following it.

He chuckled. "If it's more money you want, Ruks, I can arrange that. I'm willing to spend a lot on you if it means I can f-ck your brains out."

Her cheeks burned and she shoved him on the chest. "Get lost, Di-roy! Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not that kind of girl."

Unfortunately, he was a little bigger than an average-sized guy that her shove did little to get him off her.

He just laughed and grabbed her shoulder. "You could be at the right price, Ruks. And don't worry, I'm going to make sure we enjoy it both."

"I'll enjoy bashing your head, you asshole!" Rukia yelled at him as she swung her knee forward to catch him in the groin but his hand shot out and intercepted it, pushing it back down as he pinned her against the dumpster, his mouth mashing against her.

Rukia screamed but little of it carried because he swallowed most of the sound. She twisted to get away but he leaned his weight against her, his one hand keeping her in place by the shoulder.

\- No! I'm not going down like this! -

Suddenly, his weight was thrown off her and she blinked her eyes open to the scuffle that was playing out in front of her.

"You should keep your hands off unwilling ladies, Di-roy," Ichigo ground out as he slugged the other man on the face, sending him sprawling on the ground.

"Kurosaki!" Di-roy hollered as he struggled to his feet but Ichigo pinned him down on the chest with his knee. "This is none of your f-cking business! She and I have an understanding."

"It didn't appear as if you were understanding each other very well," Ichigo hissed as he grabbed D-roy by the collar and pelted his face with a few more knuckle-cracking punches. "Consider this your last warning, D-roy. Stay away from women who don't want you—especially Rukia."

Her already rapidly beating heart picked up its cadence not from the violent exchange between the two men but from the way Ichigo said her name.

\- Don't be pathetic, Kuchiki. It's like trading one neanderthal for another. -

Di-roy laughed, spitting out some blood in the process. "Don't tell me she's got you too, Kurosaki. She's a hot piece but I didn't think she was your type."

Ichigo slammed him back down on the ground and D-roy groaned out loud in pain. "She's going to be my wife, , and if I hear you utter one negative word about her or come within a meter of her, I will destroy you, and you know that I can."

Rukia gasped at Ichigo's pronouncement. "Hey! I'm not—"

He looked up and glared at her. "Be quiet, babe. I'm not quite done here with your friend yet."

"You're not supposed to ignore the victim!"

"Yeah, and what kind of victim complains about being saved? Just shut up and let me do my job sweetheart, I'm your fiancee after all."

As much as she'd like to take Ichigo by the ear and rant at him for making that presumptuous declaration, she was secretly thrilled to watch the fear register on Di-roy's face as he glanced between her and Ichigo.

"Alright," Rukia said with a sigh. "Toss him on his ass so he can get out of here before I decide to call the cops down the block. I doubt Mr. Rinker here would like being the weekend special with all those hoodlums down there."

A smile twitched at Ichigo's mouth before he turned a cold, deadly gaze at D-roy. "Are we clear on this, D-roy, or would you like further enlightenment?"

The man blinked rapidly, stuttering in his reply. "I... I d-didn't know... okay? I'm sorry. I... Just let me go, Ichigo. I..."

"Get out of here," he barked out at the trembling man, pointing to the back door. "Now!"

Without pause, Di-roy bolted for the door, leaving the two of them in pregnant silence for a long time, blood still rushing to her ears, her shoulders still shaking slightly.

"Do you need medical help?" he finally asked, glancing at her up and down as if checking for obvious injuries.

Rukia shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just a little... rattled."

His expression darkened as he took out a perfectly pressed handkerchief from his pocket. "The next time something like this happens, there may be no one to help you. You gamble with your life every time you dally with a man like D-roy. He's sexually harrased a number of women and paid them all off to keep them quiet. He wouldn't have stopped at a kiss. If I didn't walk in on you, you could've been the newest addition to that list."

"How did you know where to find me?" Rukia asked, a quiver in her voice.

"I just came in to talk to you again," he answered with a shrug, dusting his hands clean. "One of the waitresses told me where you were. I thought we could have a less public setting to talk again but when I got here, D-roy already had his tongue down your throat."

Rukia opened her mouth to speak but gasped when he suddenly pressed the handkerchief to her jaw. Rukia winced as she felt a slight sting. "What the hell?" she muttered, grabbing his hand with the handkerchief, and saw the blood specked on the snowy white linen. "Why am I bleeding?"

He pulled his hand back and pressed the handkerchief to her face again. "It's a small scratch. He probably grazed you with his teeth or something. He looked like he was going to eat you alive earlier."

Rukia flushed and shuddered at the memory of Di-roy's mouth and hands all over her. "I don't know why he followed me out. He normally flirts with me a lot but he's never gone this far."

Ichigo leaned down and picked up the hundred bill which he handed to her. "The man clearly wants what he paid for."

Rukia turned my head away so he wouldn't touch her anymore and she snatched the bill angrily from him. "Right. Because that's how I get by. Well, I might as well keep the money since I've already suffered for it."

The expression of dismay was clear in his eyes. "I'm not here to judge you, Ms. Kuchiki. That was my mistake yesterday. I apologize for that. I don't care how you make your money. All I want is your cooperation in a simple and lucrative business arrangement that will offer you a safe and comfortable life for the duration of it and the financial support for you to continue living so afterwards."

Her hands clenched into fists. "Despite what you think you know, Mr. Kurosaki, I won't prostitute myself to you."

"If your concern is your marital obligations to me in bed, set your mind at ease," he said slowly in a low, voice. "I have no interest in sleeping with you whatsoever. But since I'll be paying you, I require absolute fidelity from you."

"And I suppose you require the exact opposite for yourself," she scoffed.

"Of course," he said without hesitation. "I will, however, be very discreet. I will not humiliate you publicly in that regard. Besides, it will scandalize my father and I don't want to jeopardize changing his mind because of that."

"How very selective you are with your morals," Rukia muttered snidely, shaking her head. "But then that's not my problem because I'm not going to marry you, Mr. Kurosaki. You and your money can go to hell."

She started to walk away.

"Money can make hell seem like heaven, Ms. Kuchiki," he said and she halted in her steps. "When you're truly burning in it with no way out, maybe you'll appreciate the offer I'm making you."

He walked around her and took a folded sheaf of papers from inside his jacket. "This is the contract. It's designed to protect both our interests. If you wish to consult your own lawyer, contact mine on the number listed so that you can procure the services of one at no charge and with a non-disclosure agreement that will protect me in case he decides to open his mouth."

Despite herself, she took the papers but without glancing at them.

"You have until Friday to decide," he said. "I'll meet you here at ten."

"You're wasting time, you know," Rukia said through gritted teeth. "You might fancy yourself persuasive but it's not going to work.''

He suddenly grinned and for a moment, the sight of a smile stretching across his face and changing his stony but handsome profile caught her completely off guard. "You haven't seen me persuasive yet, Ms Kuchiki," he said as he started walking backwards to to the door. "And let me warn you, I play dirty."

And with that, he turned and walked back inside.

Rukia muttered a colorful string of curses under her breath before glancing at the sheaf of papers in her hand.

\- I should just shred this and make a point that way. -

\- And what? Work yourself to death for ten years and possibly run into a sleazeball like D-roy again who won't settle for some harmless flirting? -

Rukia sighed and picked up the empty trash bin.

If there was a quick way out of this, it was Ichigo's offer.

Her only worry was that in escaping this life, she might just imprison herself in a completely different one where she may not get so lucky a second time.

* * *

Ninya: I liked writing this chapter because it showed Rukia's moral struggle and hinted at a side of Ichigo that might just give his character some hope for not being a complete jerk.

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guest: Yeah Ninya is, I'm so proud of her. You're welcome, I did it so you guys have something to read and to share ninya's story too. You're right , Rukia's life is crashing down on her.

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	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the favs: Amethyst hazel / mageofspace924/ Rukiyuki/ Redly1024 / applepieshiomai / checkmate10/ florabellajansen/ luceheartfillia.

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

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Chapter Three: "I am not head over heels in love with you."

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People wouldn't say he was the most charming of men.

He understood it though and didn't complain because he was Ichigo Kurosaki, after all.

He had responsibilities—money to make, people to keep employed, projects to do. He had to take things seriously with so much at stake. But even though Ichigo was often preoccupied to the point of being unapproachable, he was never as much of a beast as he'd been the last couple of days, since his father dropped this complicated baggage called Rukia Kuchiki on his lap.

Their first meeting didn't go well but he had no plans of backing off. He knew his way around high-stakes negotiations. He often won them. But Ichigo have to admit that he'd never met quite as wild a creature as Rukia. It was going to take a different approach but he was by no means skittering away at the first snap of her teeth.

The memory of their heated confrontation at Urahara's yesterday was seared in his brain. Ichigo wasn't planning on claiming his husbandly rights with Rukia. It would be crude to demand that when he was paying the girl a fortune. It made it too black and white. That didn't mean though that he haven't entertained the idea. Well, his body entertained it yesterday, before and after he realized who she was, but his brain had to shut it down. It was purely a business deal and mixing in his pleasures would be disaster.

With little sleep, Ichigo dragged himself out of bed that morning, as grimly determined as ever to come to a settlement with Kuchiki. He knew he had to think of a new approach and he spent the few hours at work distractedly contemplating all the possible ways their second meeting could turn out.

The girl had a prickly pride, he'll give her that, and despite his initial assumptions of her part in this ridiculous scheme with his father, she was strong-willed and daring. She could also lop off body parts with her razor-sharp retorts. If he wanted to come out of this meeting with her agreement and his anatomy intact, he had to take care not to insult her. In his mutinous state yesterday, he got carried away and made things worse with her.

The moment Ichigo entered Urahara's, it almost seemed as if a radar went off because a waitress automatically came his way to say that Rukia was out back in the alley taking out the trash. He thanked her through gritted teeth as he made his way to the back of the diner.

She was taking out the trash. Great.

He wasn't sure which upset him more—the fact that a young, vibrant girl like her was suppressed in such a small world as this or the fact that his father had somehow put him in a position to feel responsible for her knowing he couldn't just easily walk away.

That simmering emotion boiled over when he instantly spotted the couple tangled in a passionate embrace by the dumpster in the empty back alley. At first, Ichigo was furious that she still messing around with other men when she was marrying him but that rage transformed into a dangerous aggression when he'd realized that Rukia was twisting around to get free while D-roy, of all men, had his tongue down her throat. His feet carried him there in a flash. He couldn't even pause to reassess the situation he was walking into because the moment her saw her eyes squeezed shut in combined panic and revulsion, his fists just swung and didn't stop until D-roy was a writhing mess on a ground.

Ichigo made it very clear to him that he was to never approach her again.

She was going to be his wife and damn him if he let slime like D-roy come anywhere near her or mark her like he did on her jaw. He was lucky Ichigo let him escape in one piece. She seemed relieved by the rescue but whatever small advantage he'd gained by tossing out D-roy got decimated when he couldn't help pointing out the risks she took by dallying with men like him for a some small change.

Ichigo stated his offer again and reassured her that he didn't require her to fulfill her marital duties to him in bed. He had hoped to give her some reassurance. He didn't want her to think of his offer that way because it wasn't like that. It was a solution to both their problems, and even though he felt the most alarming stirring to pull her into his arms and hold her until she calmed, he wasn't going to act on his inconvenient attraction to her.

She was a means to an end.

.

.

By the time Friday came, Rukia was already losing her mind.

The notice of sale from the bank arrived and she had about three weeks before the house was to be auctioned off. She got the default notice about five months ago and she'd dragged it on as much as he could. The mortage payments were too high and it was hard to keep up with it along with the insurance, property taxes and all the utilties. She wouldn't even get started on her other consumer debt.

Rukia needed money and she needed it fast but her paycheck barely covered her personal expenses and if she had to move in three weeks, she needed the money to pay down an apartment if she didn't want to sleep on the streets.

On Friday morning, Rukia went to Urahara's in a light blue cotton sundress and flip-flops, her hair gathered in a loose bun. She wasn't due for her shift until much later because she worked Friday evenings when the tips were the best. She was there five minutes before ten and Ichigo was already waiting in a booth, reading the morning paper.

"Hey," She said when he finally looked up.

His amber eyes flickered with some unidentifiable emotion as he appraised her from head to toe.

"Like what you see?" Rukia snapped, irritated by the sight of him.

"Just thinking that you might clean up better than I hoped," he said as he gestured to the seat across from him. "You look almost... young."

"I am young especially compared to you," She retorted as she slid into the booth and tossed her white canvas bag on the seat next to her. "You're practically ancient—from the caveman era, I believe."

"Good morning to you too, ," he said dryly. "And yes, I'm older and wiser than you."

Rukia scoffed. "Real wise people need not to point it out. Those who wish they were point it out often."

He smiled and set down his paper. "Bad week, huh?"

She sighed and leaned back against her seat, eyeing him in exasperation. "Oh, I'm sure you have a pretty good idea of how great things have been going for me. That's why you look like the cat who got the cream."

"This is sounding better with each second," he said with a satisfied smirk. "And since I'm pretty sure I'm getting the answer I want today, let's take our time and maybe feed you first. If I'm right about the situation you're in, you'e probably been skipping breakfast."

Rukia glared at him as he beckoned one of the waitresses over. "I can afford to feed myself just fine."

He smiled up at Isane who came to their table and glanced between them in curiosity. "Can we get a plate of your Working Man's breakfast? I'll have some pancakes and bacon for myself."

Rukia opened her mouth to protest that she couldn't possibly eat that much but her stomach growled, and she bit her lip and lowered her gaze, hoping to God that no one heard.

"What would you like to drink?" Kurosaki asked, surprising her.

"I'll have a cup of coffee, Isane," Rukia told the waitress with a small smile. "Thank you."

Once the waitress was gone, she turned a narrowed glance at him. "A Working Man's breakfast? Really? You think I can eat three pancakes, roasted potatoes, some bacon, ham, pork sausages, scrambled eggs, two pieces of buttered toast and a large raisin scone?"

He just let out an impatient sigh. "If you're going to be my wife, you need to look like it. The starved look isn't a new fashion trend a Mrs. Kurosaki would be sporting."

Rukia gave a short laugh. "Starved? I'll tell you that every man in this room thinks I have enough flesh where it matters."

"A Mrs. Kurosaki also doesn't call anyone's interest to herself," Ichigo added in a low hiss although his eyes raked over her with something that could only be called lascivious interest.

\- Well, that certainly made things interesting. -

"Would you rather have an overweight and unattractive Mrs. Kurosaki?" Rukia asked. "Who would ever believe you'd marry one considering your very discerning taste in dating only women with the highest caliber of beauty and poise -"

"my standards are pretty high—"

"—and narcissism and brainlessness?" Rukia finished with a grin when his smug expression tightened into a frown. "I guess I could call on my acting chops and pretend to be blown away by the prolific undertaking of determining one's outfit to the next charity ball. I mean, how are we to save the world if not in platform heels?"

A smile ghosted on his lips but he quickly chased it away with another frown although his warm hazel eyes held a sparkle of humor. "A Mrs. Kurosaki has to be a woman of impeccable taste, pleasant and charming humor, perfect manners and easy flexibility with her husband."

Her brows rose. "Flexibility? Do you mean like gymnast-level positions in bed? I danced a little in high school but I don't think I can get my foot over my neck. And you're not supposed to be sleeping with me."

Heat flared in his gaze and his jaw clenched. "No. I meant flexibility in cooperating with her husband in decisions deemed best for her."

Rukia sat back and enjoyed his discomfort before piercing him with a glare. "Be direct, Mr. Kurosaki. If you meant subservience, just say it. You expect a Mrs. Kurosaki to be entirely in your power, like a puppet whose strings you can pull anytime. A Mrs. Kurosaki should never voice contradicting opinions, complain about your extra-marital affairs or point out your excessive ego and greed. She must also turn off a few functioning brain cells to be able to cope with the insipid concerns of the people in your circle if she wants to be able to relate. She needs to be a spineless and superficial arm candy, battery-operated with a million. Did I miss anything?"

"Yes," he muttered with an exasperated sigh. "A Mrs. Kurosaki also needs to be less sarcastic."

"I don't know about that," Rukia said as she picked up the contract and handed it to him with a smile. "It's only sarcastic if you actually don't agree with what I said which I thought you did considering all your stipulations here. I just condensed it into a simple characterization—dumbed it down, you know? Understanding the big words might make me too smart and you know we can't have that."

Rukia was spared from a scathing response when Isane arrived with their food.

"This isn't signed," he finally said a few minutes after Isane left and he'd scanned the contract.

"Not yet," Rukia replied through a mouthful of pancakes soaked in maple syrup. "I want it amended first with the revisions I made. First two-hundred-fifty thousand upfront on the day of our wedding, second after six months, third on the eighth and the last of it at the end of the year. The separate clothing and spending allowance is fine but I want a separate bedroom, a charity budget and a grant for a full program in any art school of my choice. In case I die during the agreed year, all payable amount should be donated to a charity I'll name on my will. If you die before the contract expires, all payable amount you promised me on this contract will be paid out in full by your estate to which I'd have no right to as to be stated by our pre-nup."

"Sounds reasonable," Ichigo said as he sat back and studied her with those intense eyes. "Why the charity budget? What for? I'm already on the board of several ones."

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest. "I might as well try to spread what wealth I can get out of you. I have a few projects I want to get involved in. Don't worry, I won't be pocketing any of that money. It'll all go to a good cause."

"For someone who seemed really incensed at the idea of taking my money a few days ago, you sure seem eager now to spend it," he commented with a dry laugh. "I'm amenable to all of that. Anything else?"

"I don't want you and your mistresses doing the dirty deed in our marital home," She said, feeling a rush of anger at the image of walking in on Ichigo screwing the brains out of a nameless, faceless woman in the home they'll be sharing. "If I catch you doing so, I gain the right to terminate the contract with all of the remaining instalments of the full payment to be deposited directly to me within thirty days after the termination is formalized. It's all in there."

If that condition bothered him, he didn't show, because he only smiled smugly.

"That won't be a problem. " he said. "I don't bring my romantic affairs home. If you think that's one way to get out of this with all of the money and without fulfilling your side of the bargain, think again."

Rukia made a nauseous face. "Thank God I don't have to sleep with you. You're probably like a stone statue in bed, all cold and emotionless. Aren't your women just better off with a dildo or do they just want shoulders to grab on to so they have you instead?"

\- Holy guacamole, Rukia Kuchiki. Where did you learn to talk like that? -

The truth was, she was no sex adventuress. Like never. Ever. But something about Kurosaki here, just provoked the worst of her temper. She was saying the damndest things around him all the time.

But instead of getting riled up, his mouth just turned up on one corner, his eyes giving her a lazy, challenging look. "Wouldn't you like to know. How about we do 'it' after we're done here."

\- Well. He can actually flirt. -

Her cheeks heated up but she just rolled her eyes. "No, thanks. I don't sleep with art pieces especially those who speak when they are either not supposed to or just full of crap when they do."

He assaulted her senses further when he grinned broadly. "It's only crap if they're things you don't want to hear and those usually are the truth."

She hate to admit it but she agreed. "Have I told you I don't like you, Mr. Kurosaki?"

"Not directly, but you've certainly shown it," he answered with a husky laugh.

\- Damn it. Why did the man have to be in such good humor today when mine was frayed thin from the stress of the week? -

"Well, I've got to do the most damage I can while we're not married yet," Rukia said, squaring her shoulders and thrusting up her chin. "When will I get the revised contract?"

"It'll be ready by tomorrow morning," he promised, folding the contract and slipping it inside his jacket's pocket. "My father is arriving on Sunday and I thought we'd announce it during the family brunch which you're attending with me."

Her heart constricted at the thought of having to look Isshin in the eye and lying to his face. Him and the rest of the Kurosaki's.

\- Oh, God. When this contract ends maybe I can forget about art school and become an actress instead. I'll get tons of practice. -

"I can't. I have to work Sunday morning," Rukia said.

He scowled. "The contract states you have to quit all your jobs when you marry me."

"It does," Rukia agreed with a nod, downing the last of her coffee. "When I marry you, not before. When is the wedding going to be anyway so I can give Kisuke the notice? It's not easy finding and training a new person."

"In two weeks but you'll be introduced to everyone as my fiancee before then and it would be unseemly for you to still be working as a waitress when you're engaged to me."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I don't get my money until after the wedding and I've got to eat before then so I need the job. Besides, what's wrong with that? Gives it a romantic spin, doesn't it, if people think that you fell head over heels in love with a lowly waitress and that you just had to marry her right away?"

"I am not head over heels in love with you," he ground out.

\- hmm, defensive. -

"I didn't say you were," She snapped irritably. "Just that if people think you are. It makes for a better story than leaving the world speculating about what could've possibly motivated you to marry someone poor and unworthy of your precious last name when she has neither money nor your heart."

He scoffed. "I could say it was just my father forcing my hand."

"And what? Show them that Isshin is cold and unfeeling father when we both know he isn't?" Rukia asked in exasperation. "Show them that you're a greedy, spineless weasel for not standing up to your old man? Do you think people will truly understand the complexity of this not-so-simple business arrangement?"

"Alright, enough already!" His voice barely rose in volume but the force of his words had her swallowing hard. "You've made your point and I'll acquiesce on this. You can keep your job until a week before the wedding because a bride has to have some involvement in her big day. While you're here, I expect that you'll discourage any kind of advances from anyone trying to get into your pants. It's bad enough that I'm marrying a nineteen-year-old waitress. I don't want the media publishing articles about customers groping my future-bride's ass like it's public property."

"Ah, your despicable charm, as always," Rukia muttered under her breath. "Don't worry. After that incident with Mr. D-roy, I'm not coming within two feet of men with suspicious character unless I'm armed with a baseball bat. The only reason I don't have one right now with you is that it didn't go with the dress. But I hear that salt and pepper shakers dent foreheads real good so don't try anything funny."

"I think I'm absolutely insane for ever considering doing this with you," he groaned, closing his eyes briefly as if in pain.

"I second that wholeheartedly," She said with a grin. "Although I'd like to clarify a point of distinction that you were already a wee bit crazy before you saddled me with your boring presence."

He opened his eyes and arched a brow at her. "Well, since you're being paid a million to endure my boring presence, I say endure it quietly. I'd like to go through this year without a permanent migraine which I continue to get because you never stop provoking me."

She tilted her chin up defiantly. "Only because you provoke me first. But I agree with you. I'd like to get through this year myself without being carted off to prison for murdering my husband. If we're to stay married for a year and give a convincing portrayal of a real husband and wife, let's try not get on each other's case."

"I'll do my best," he said with a half-smile.

Rukia nodded. "So will I."

And in that moment, despite their many spirited quarrels in the past week, an understanding clicked between them. She smiled and popped the last piece of ham into her mouth. He finished off his pancakes, his eyes smiling as he chewed and watched her.

"What time do you work today?" he asked as he wiped his mouth once they finished eating quietly.

"Six," she answered. "I have to go home and take a short nap because I'll be working until about two to two-thirty in the morning."

He glanced at his watch. "It's only eleven. We can go shopping and I'll have you home by twelve-thirty so you can get a few hours of sleep."

Her brows rose. "Shopping? For what?"

"An engagement ring. And maybe a few clothes that don't look so.. worn. I'll have my assistant Rangiku arrange for a personal shopper to help you build your new wardrobe but we can get you a few things today."

Rukia groaned. "This can't wait until we're married? I'm not going to start wearing heels, cardigans and pearls here at work."

"The ring you'll need right away if we're to convince my father about the marriage on Sunday," he insisted stubbornly. "A woman doesn't get engaged to me and have no rock to show it off."

"I'd like to show off a rock I could knock you out cold with," She muttered under her breath which made him narrow his eyes.

Rukia grinned sweetly, batting her lashes at him at the reminder of their mutual attempt to be civil to each other. "Oh, yes, please. Buy me a Harry Winston large enough to be seen from space. Do you think they'll throw in a body guard with that? I might need it if I'm taking the bus to work everyday."

"I'll have a driver and car assigned to you," Kurosaki said. "I don't want you roaming the streets unprotected."

"Aw, It warms my heart to know that you're so protective of me."

He rolled his eyes and pulled out a hundred bill from his wallet and left it on the table. Lucky, Isane.

"I'm protective of all of my investments. You're currently my most vulnerable, not to mention most volatile one," he said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"How romantic," Rukia grumbled. "Fine. I'll take the car and the driver and the ring and the clothes. Anything else?"

He smiled as if enjoying her apparent dislike for agreeing with him. "Nothing that I can think of at the moment so we can go shopping. Ready?"

He got up and offered her his hand.

"As ready as I will ever get," Rukia said as she took his hand. "Lead the way, Mr. Kurosaki. Show me what the fuss is all about."

"Ichigo," he said as they walked together toward the door, the hand he offered her earlier now pressed lightly on the small of her back. "If you and I are going to get married, we should probably call each other by our first names."

Rukia swallowed hard at the possessive way his strong, muscular arm slipped around her as they passed a couple of familiar male customers who waved hi and winked at her. "Yes, Ichigo."

"Better," he said with a faint smile, glancing down at her.

"My name's Rukia," she said as they stepped out on the sidewalk. "Some people call me Ruks."

He shook his head. "That name doesn't sound particularly appealing. Rukia suits you better."

As Rukia looked down at their hands, she wondered if it was because he didn't want to lose her or because she was his possession that cost a million. Suddenly it dawned on her that she had more to lose in this than just the money. That made her truly afraid of this crazy arrangement for the first time since Ichigo suggested it.

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me: I love the sexual feeling between them. hehehe. Ichigo is older here for five years.

Keep reviewing readers that's what kept us going!

-.-.-.-

Thanks for the wonderful reviews :

mbravesgirl7 : i guess, Ichigo wont have to be persuasive after this chap.

sarah: Thanks. i hope you enjoyed this chapter.

kleinegirl87: thank you for liking it. I used yen because i thought it would fit in the story, since the characters are japanese, but you do have a point. Dollars valued more than yen.. thanks for pointing out.

Amethyst hazel: Thank you for loving it. I'm not sure about Byakuya's appearance. we'll think about it.

guest: haha, last chapter made me gushing too.

IchiRuki 4vr: No more persuasive Ichigo since Rukia accepted, but things will start to get interesting from now on.

Arya U Dragneel: Thank you so much for reading. It makes us smile reading your feedback too.

RukiYuki: how'd you know that Nel will be Isshin's adopted daughter? hehe, that's our plan.

Sleepygirl: No more playing dirty for ichi after this chapter. Thanks so much for reading.

ZiggySmallz: I'm glad you're not holding your breath anymore. hehe

Guest: Oh, Rukia will ..soon. :D

Inverse L reena : I dont speak spanish or whatever you're language is, but Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you're enjoying this.

Bloodyme: Thank you! I appreciate you taking time to review.

applepieshiomai: cute name, and me as well I've read a lot of IchiRuki AU's and i've grown addicted to it.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the favs: Bloody fangs/ kawaiiizetto/kidzin/n nickel/shoma/verlorin im licht/chocolei

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to Ninya.

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Chapter Four: Occasional displays of affection.

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Rukia just got to his snazzy, shiny dark blue sports car that was probably more than double the value of her house. Ichigo held the door open for her and they drove off.

"We're here," he announced as he pulled over in front of a magnificent building with a glass facade. Two sharply-dressed doormen came over to hold the car door open for them and escort them to the entrance.

Standing by the doorway of the vast space richly appointed with luxurious, if a little gaudy interior, and the endless rows of glass cases showcasing a mind-boggling and literally blinding array of jewelry, she felt conscious.

\- Don't feel small. No one can do that to you but yourself. -

"Are you okay?" Ichigo murmured as he slipped an arm behind her waist.

Rukia tensed at the touch but saw a beaming man in a suit barreling toward them excitedly, his arms gesturing so grandly she swore he was about to take a deep bow in front of them. The man was large and muscular but with long wavy black hair, large glossy lips and curly eyelashes.

\- Okay, he's peculiar. -

"Mr. Kurosaki, welcome, welcome!" the man greeted as he shook Ichigo's hand. He turned to her, his smile curling a little into a near-sneer as he did a quick appraisal of Rukia's appearance—like she'd somehow dragged in the mud across his pristine floors—and offered his hand. "You must be the lucky lady who snagged this equally lucky man here—one of our favorite customers! Let me welcome you to my Delicious, Avaricious, Superstitious, Surreptitious, Expeditious, Ceremonious, felonious, Glorious, Laborious, Glamorous 'Rosa Blanca' Jewelry shop. I'm Charlotte Chuhlhourne, at your service."

\- Uhh.. that was the longest introduction I'd ever heard. -

Rukia gaped at Charlotte like he was insane before speaking to Ichigo in a hushed tone. '' What planet do you think this guy came from?"

"Planet of the apes."

Ichigo said followed by an amused chuckle, Rukia smiled, at least the man has a sense of humor. She gripped Charlotte's hand firmly, giving him a sunny smile as her shoulders squared. "Rukia Kuchiki. Nice to meet you Mr. Two Horns, I mean, Chuhlhorne."

Ichigo's hand squeezed her waist. She snuck up a glance at him, she could see that he had a ghost of a smile on his lips and his hazel eyes were bright with humor.

"Charlotte, we'd like to see those exclusive designs you mentioned on the phone," Ichigo said in a business-like tone. "Bring the other item as well and maybe give us a moment before your staff brings in the designs."

Charlotte's head went up and down like one of those bobble-head cats on a taxi's dashboard.

"Of course, Mr. Kurosaki," the man answered before stepping aside."Please follow me to the viewing room."

They followed the man down a private hall, a good two feet away behind him. Ichigo straightened, took her by the arm, and guided her into one of the two leather-cushioned seats in front of a long, beautifully hand-crafted wooden table. A row of four crystal pendant lights shone brightly down on the table, reflecting against the glass cases and the various stones that glittered among the impressive jewelry collection laid out for them.

"We've already set this up here for you but I'll instruct the staff to bring in the rest in ten minutes or so, Mr. Kurosaki, Ms. Kuchiki," Charlotte said before he bowed deeply and took his leave, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Everything is so... shiny," Rukia said as she glanced at the blinding display of rings and the opulent interior of the cozy room. "And expensive."

He smirked. "I always want the best. If you're going to be Mrs. Kurosaki, you're going to want the same."

Rukia brightened. "Can I have the best husband then? I clearly drew the short straw on that."

Instead of a prickly come back, he just barked a laugh. "No, I clearly drew the short one," he said with a sardonic grin. "How tall are you? Do you even reach five feet?"

"I'm five-two, for your information!" she protested, swatting him on the shoulder. "Not all of us are towering giants! I'll have you know that I can be five-eight in four-inch high heels."

His brows furrowed. "The math doesn't work in that equation."

She gritted her teeth. "Heard of in-soles and platforms, genius?"

He just laughed. "I have but I thought you didn't wear platforms."

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest grumpily. "I don't but it doesn't mean I've never worn them. It doesn't mean that just because I'm practical, I don't go a little crazy sometimes and wear high heels."

Like once in a blue moon.

"You could've worn them today," he said, eyeing her flip-flops.

"They don't go with this dress and I've got only one pair. I only take those beauties out on really special occasions and going shopping with you is hardly special," She rambled on. "Besides, who runs errands in hooker heels?"

If the light in his eyes changed even for just a second, Rukia couldn't tell because he quickly looked away. "So, I have something to give you," he said after clearing his throat, the playfulness gone from his voice. He reached for a small, black velvet-wrapped box sitting on the table and lifted the lid up slowly.

"What is it?" Rukia asked leaning forward to look. She sucked in her breath, her eyes literally bulging.

"Is this an asteroid?" She said through her suddenly dry throat, glancing up at Ichigo who was watching her closely instead of gazing at the engagement ring he was holding.

"It's your engagement ring," he said with a sigh as he beamed up at him. He lifted the ring out of the box and held out his hand to her. "I picked it out a couple of days ago but I wanted to make sure you liked it."

She watched as he took her hand and slipped the ring over her finger, the cold band contrasting the feel of his warm skin against hers.

"So, do you like it?"

Rukia glanced at it again, mesmerized by the large, princess-cut diamond sitting on an elegant platinum band with a diamond-encrusted V-shaped prong setting that held the rock together.

"It's gorgeous and frightening at the same time."

Its substantial weight had a conflicting effect on her. She felt the dreadful weight of the scheme she was going along with Ichigo. This was no joke or prank. She was really marrying Ichigo Kurosaki for money and survival and it left an ugly taste in her mouth.

Suddenly, he reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze before he turned his attention to the display. "Anyway, we have to pick out our wedding rings," he said just as two sales people walked into the room behind Charlotte. He smiled broadly at them before seating himself from across the table.

Charlotte spent the next half hour singing praises for each set they looked at and Rukia was nearing the end of her patience. Ichigo, meanwhile, was going through the motions of inspecting each piece with a certain detachment as if he wanted to be somewhere else but here with her, choosing rings for their phony marriage.

"Mr. Kurosaki, take a look at our bestest, wonderful , pretty, Super, fantastic, romantic, dramatic -

\- What the hell?! -

A vein popped Rukia's forehead and to end both their misery, she pointed to a plain platinum band with a narrow, pale gold stripe on the center. "I want that one."

Charlotte looked crestfallen. "This? We have more unique designs featuring—"

"I want it simple and uncomplicated," Rukia said firmly. "I don't like a lot of trappings. Marriage is complicated enough, don't you think?"

"Um," Charlotte said, his voice trailing off, casting a hopeful glance at Ichigo.

"Rukia can have whatever she chooses," Ichigo said quietly, nodding at the set she'd chosen. "I like it too. Have it sized accordingly and have it ready next Friday."

Charlotte rose and dispatched orders to his minions, leaving them for a moment to get some paperwork. When he was gone, she leaned close to Ichigo. "So, do you really like it or did you just say that to show a united front?"

He studied her from the corner of his eye and smiled faintly. "I liked it. It was the only thing that didn't look overdone. I'm glad you didn't go for that three-tiered band one with diamond stripes on it."

She grinned. "It was a bit ostentatious. Well, I'm glad we agree. That's a first for us. And hopefully the last."

"The last?" he asked, his brows wrinkling in amused confusion. "I thought we made a pact to try to get along."

Rukia shrugged. "To get along, sure, but that doesn't equate to me agreeing with you all the time. I've decided that if I didn't want to shrink up and die from too much etiquette and propriety, I'll need to disagree with you on a lot of things."

He arched his brows at her. "How will we get along if you don't agree with me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, you can agree with me. You just did, with the rings. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Ichigo looked at her as if he couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or amused at her. "whatever."

"Are we done here?"

"Is that it?" he asked, looking around in mild surprise. "You don't want anything else from here?"

She looked around uncertainly. "Uh, no, not really. Besides, I can't afford anything here except maybe the nice paperbag the stuff comes in."

He sighed. "You really have to wrap your head around the fact that you're going to be rich—at least for a year. It wouldn't do for a Mrs. Kurosaki to be telling people she can't afford something."

She thrust her chin up proudly. "I may be in this devil's deal with you but it doesn't mean I'm completely unfair. I only want to spend what is rightfully mine and whatever money I get out of this, I'll spend on something more practical than some bling."

Ichigo didn't say anything more after that. He just shook his head as if he couldn't figure out what she was babbling about and had no patience to figure it out. He signed the paperwork and in ten minutes they were out of the store, heading for his car.

"I can take a cab from here," she said, pausing by the door. "You probably have more important things to do."

"I'll drive you home," he insisted, holding the door open. "Get in."

Rukia sighed and made no move to get inside the car. It had been a crazy half day and she needed some solitary time to get a grip. Spending another fifteen minutes with Ichigo wasn't going to help her achieve that. "I can get home just fine. I'm not twelve, you know?"

"Yeah, just seven years older than that which isn't much to recommend your ability to take care of yourself," he pointed out. "Now, get in or I'll shove you inside."

Her shoulders squared. "You wouldn't dare."

He arched an imperious brow at her. "I would dare a lot."

"You're a bully."

"And you're trying my patience," he countered, taking a step forward to back her into the open door of the car. "Get in the car, Rukia. Don't try me." He leaned closer and now she could see the dangerous glimmer in his eyes.

Rukia swallowed hard, unable to come up with a witty comeback. She glanced away and was about to relent when he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her up against him, his mouth anchoring on hers.

\- Damn. There's fireworks. -

The sudden flare of heat and electricity that swept through her startled her into a frozen state where she could hear or see nothing except the sudden drum-dance of her heart and the flash of light behind her closed eyes. Rukia's mind went blank until Ichigo's warm, soft lips moved against hers, angling slightly to one side to deepen the kiss, his tongue slowly teasing its way into her mouth. At that bold move, her reflexes fired back up to life and she reacted. Her arms slipped around his neck as she pushed herself up on her toes, allowing his own arms to wrap around her waist as she matched his every assault.

No one would ever make the mistake of thinking her a shy soul but she was also never particularly aggressive. But as Ichigo's own heated reaction started to sabotage his restraint with the way his fingers were digging into her hips and the way his little growls and moans grew raspy as their lips parted for a second to change angles, Rukia let herself go and kissed him for all she was worth.

Then as quickly as he yanked her to him, he grasped her by the arms and pushed her away. Rukia opened her eyes and sought his and even in the bright light of day, she could see the dark, sensual haze in them as he battled for breath and control.

\- So I wasn't dancing that tango alone. -

"What was that about?" She asked between breaths. "You... you... kissed me."

"I did," he said with a nod, the emotions in his eyes finally disappearing behind the usual shutters as he straightened up and squared his shoulders. "There was a pap snapping photos of us across the street. If we're going to sell this marriage to my father and the public, proof that we're crazy for each other would do that."

That felt like a bucket of ice cold water poured down on her. "How the hell would they know where to find us?" she demanded, trying not to give her anger away.

They had a business agreement and the occasional displays of affection were stated in the contract. She had no right to get upset just because the kiss affected her so much.

"I called ahead to the store to tell them that my fiancee and I are picking out wedding rings," he answered flatly, showing no sign of his earlier... distress. "Charlotte and his staff know how to work the publicity for their benefit. That's why I selected this store for all of our wedding jewelry instead of having private jewellers show us their designs privately. They're not best known for discretion. Besides, it doesn't take much for gossip bits like this to leak out."

A damn publicity stunt. That was what it was.

"You might want to warn me next time so I don't slap you," Rukia muttered through clenched teeth.

A small smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "Hmm. It didn't seem like you were trying to protest anyway."

Her fists balled on my sides. "You are such an ass."

And with that, she slipped inside the car, slammed the door shut and strapped on her seatbelt with a decisive yank of her arm. She was fuming as she sat there while Ichigo drove her home. Rukia gave him the directions to her place in a small, quiet neighborhood full of dainty, cookie-cutter houses. The car hadn't come to a full stop yet when she scrambled out of it and slammed the car door behind her.

She was so pissed.

Rukia ignored him as she marched up to her front porch, unlocked the door and bolted it close.

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.

"Hello, Ms. Rukia Kuchiki! I'm Orihime Inoue and I'm your personal assistant and temporary wedding coordinator. It's so nice to finally meet you. How are you doing today?"

Rukia blinked and took a step back, not sure if she was having a lucid dream because the woman's neon pink skirt-and-suit ensemble seemed offensive enough to her eyesight that this couldn't possibly be some hazy nightmare featuring serial killer Barbie.

The late morning sun's glare went out of focus, allowing her to concentrate on the woman standing at her door, sporting the most beautiful, golden orange hair. She flashed her a pearly-white smile, her... cheerfulness so palpable it hurt to look at her for another second.

"Um, sorry, I didn't catch what you just said," Rukia said, giving her an apologetic smile and squinting as her bright pink outfit tortured her eyes further. "I just worked a nine-hour night shift and was sleeping for a little bit. Only half my brain is working right now."

Her pretty face etched with concern. "Oh, a bride must get at least eight hours of beauty sleep every night, especially with only two weeks left before her big day. We must remedy that. We also need to ramp up your diet and make sure you're eating healthy and staying fit so that you'll look nothing less than perfect when you walk down the aisle. We have work to do, Ms. Kuchiki."

In the groggy web of her consciousness, the woman's earlier statements echoed until their meaning fully sank in. Holding up a hand to stop her from making any more attempts to come through the door, Rukia grabbed her cellphone tucked under the waistband of her yoga pants and dialed a number.

As it rang, she peered over the woman's shoulder to scan the street outside and saw a black town car parked out front. A tall man with a shaved head was leaning against it, watching us with a remote expression on his face.

"Yes?"

"Ichigo, what in the world is Ms. Inoue doing at my house?"

Ichigo chuckled. "Didn't she introduce herself? She's your new personal assistant and an acting wedding coordinator until the one I hired finishes the wedding she's doing this weekend."

Her fist clenched but she pasted a smile on her face for the woman's sake. It wasn't her fault that Ichigo thought it awfully hilarious to inflict the woman on her.

"I'm fine on my own. I don't need a personal assitant," Rukia replied although she silently cringed at the crestfallen look on Ms. Inoue's face.

"Yes, you do," he said with a sigh. "You're getting tossed into unknown waters with no time to teach you how to swim or at least keep your head up. Inoue will help you navigate your way around. She comes highly recommended. I suggest you take full advantage of her skills."

She gritted her teeth. "I feel incredibly rude discussing this with you on the phone while she's right in front of me but I've managed on my own my entire life Ichigo , and I'll manage being your wife just as well."

There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, finality in his voice. "If you don't want her help, fire her. Only you can do it."

The line disconnected and she stared at the phone as if it were some alien creature about to cover her hand with slime. She swallowed uneasily, tossing the gadget to the ratty bench by foyer and glancing up at Ms. Inoue . She was watching her with her eyes big with trepidation and hope.

\- Fire her? How the hell will I fire her? It's like kicking a bunny and enjoying it. -

She was young, probably only a handful of years older than Rukia, but her wide-eyed gaze was clearly innocent and demure. It was also apparent that she desperately and earnestly wanted to help—even if Rukia didn't need or welcome any of it.

\- Damn you, Kurosaki. You just know how to twist my arm. -

"Hi," Rukia greeted her sheepishly.

She beamed at her. "Hello. So, will you keep me, Ms. Kuchiki? I can make your life so much easier and more fabulous!"

\- What do they feed this girl? Sunshine and daisies? -

She nodded. "Yeah, you're on board. Sorry about that. Come on in."

\- Because I can't kick bunnies. I love them. -

"So, Ms. Inoue," she started awkwardly. "What's your first name again?"

She brightened, extending a hand to her. " Orihime Inoue."

Rukia flashed her a smile and shook her hand. "My name is Rukia Kuchiki. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, no, I'm ecstatic to meet you!" the woman gushed, her beautiful curls bouncing around her shoulders. "I was so honored when Mr. Kurosaki handpicked me as his future wife's right hand. Everyone is so curious about you!"

She grimaced. "Well, this curiosity isn't going to kill the cats—just merely bore them. There's nothing special going on here, trust me. Just a regular girl. Marrying a regu—er, I mean, great guy. Simple wedding. Simple marriage. No fuss."

Inoue's eyes widened in disbelief. "No fuss? How can people not fuss when everyone's so caught up in the movie-like romance of your love story? You two look so in love! Just look at this!"

She backed away quickly to give herself room to pull out a folded tabloid from under the little filing folder she was hugging. With her practically prancing in her heels with excitement, she handed the paper to Rukia.

She scanned the front page of the gossip tabloid and groaned, slapping her forehead.

The article's title screamed in capital letters: DINER CINDERELLA CAPTURES KUROSAKI PRINCE!

It went on to detail how Ichigo ran into her at Urahara's one night a while ago and was unable to take his mind off her until they saw each other again this week. He got her to finally sit down with him, talk and fall madly and instantly in love.

Rukia had a feeling Ichigo fed them this story because as far-fetched as it sounded to her, the story was written so convincingly, one would have to be heartless to be unaffected.

If they only knew.

There was an enlarged photo of her hand sporting her giant engagement ring and another much larger shot of her and Ichigo locked in a passionate embrace as they kissed in front of the jewelry store from their trip there yesterday morning. The image was a little grainy but there was no mistaking Ichigo. Rukia, on the other hand, had her back turned to the camera, her hair in a tangled mess, her arms wrapped around Ichigo's neck.

"See? Isn't that so sweet?" Inoue's bubbly voice penetrated Rukia's whirling thoughts.

\- Sweet was merely one of the by-products of our talented acting—well, Ichigo's talented acting.

Her cheeks flamed and her fingers curled around the edge of the tabloid, crumpling the paper.

"Something wrong, Ms. Kuchiki?" Inoue prompted, peering at her with concern.

Rukia looked up at her, smiling while she forced her annoyance back down. "Just thinking about all these nosy paps who can't mind their own business. I don't particularly enjoy their overeager interest."

"I completely understand. It's part of my job to make sure they don't bother you too much. The man you saw out front is Ikkaku Madarame and he's going to be your chauffer and bodyguard. He scared away the paps who were stalking around the street earlier but they never stay too far."

Rukia's eyes bulged. "There were paps outside earlier?"

"Yes. The news of your whirlwind romance and engagement to Mr. Kurosaki has been spreading like wildfire in the last twenty-four hours. It's only a matter of time before they track you down and hound after every bit of juicy information they can get about and from you."

She swallowed hard. "That doesn't sound fun."

Inoue shook her head. "No, it isn't always. It's great if the publicity is helping one of your causes but most of the time, they're just digging for dirt which is never nice."

"Well, I'm glad you're here to help me then," Rukia chirped with forced cheerfulness, smiling at Inoue. "Ichigo said you came highly recommended. You must know the ropes like no other. And please, just call me Rukia."

The woman, heaven bless her, perked up and nodded energetically. " Yes, I will Rukia Kurosaki.

\- Rukia Kurosaki, holy crap. -

She felt the urge to flee and never look back but she forced herself another dose of fortitude. She may be poor and down on her luck but she was never a coward.

"Just Rukia. It helps to keep me grounded. I'll confess that Ichigo's world intimidates me a little. I'm not used to it and it's not used to me. I'll need all the help I can get."

The twinkle in Inoue's eyes should've warned her. "And I'll give you all the help you'll need Rukia-san," she promised. "We start today. Your brand new wardrobe is arriving in fifteen minutes."

.

.

It was well past eight at night when Rainbow Tornado finally left her in peace. Rukia was so exhausted she wouldn't have made it to her Saturday evening shift at Urahara's if she'd tried.

\- Oh no, I'm going to see Isshin tomorrow. He's going to know we're completely lying to him. -

She had relented and traded her shift tomorrow so she could attend the brunch with Ichigo and his father. Rukia wanted to see the old man but she was terrified that he would see right through her while she sat there at the breakfast table, tortured by guilt and remorse for participating in this deception Ichigo concocted.

She need to figure out why Isshin wanted her to marry Ichigo in the first place. If she could at least help him with that, she'd feel better.

Stalking to the fridge that was newly restocked by a pair of guys from one of those fancy groceries who came over earlier at Inoue's instructions, she took out a plastic container of cut-up fruits and transferred some to a small bowl.

She was just snacking on it when the doorbell rang.

"Who is it this time?" Rukia grumbled as she contemplated the amount of energy she'd use to get up from the table and answer the door. "A sleep-pattern analyst?"

The doorbell sounded off again and she groaned, pushing herself off the chair. She peeked through the window to look at the porch—something Inoue insisted on in case it was a pap waiting for her outside—and saw the tall, dark outline of Ichigo as he tapped his foot impatiently and glanced over at her through the window.

Reluctantly, Rukia pulled the door open.

"You'll need to have this door reinforced and secured with additional locks," he said without preliminaries. "I could've just kicked it down."

"I'm amazed at your restraint," She blurted out at him.

"It's for your own safety, Rukia." he reminded her softly.

"I'm so tired that I can't argue with you right now," she grumbled. "If that's what you came here for, goodnight and goodbye."

He raised a brow, raking in her appearance with his eyes from head to toe. "This is what I get after making you spend the day with fashion and beauty experts?"

She was in her old pajamas, a thin and faded shirt from high school, and her hair was twisted into a knot on top of her head.

Rukia glowered at him. "Well, I'm not exactly dressed for company. If you want to get your money's worth, wait till tomorrow." She turned away and moved to close the door on him but his hand shot out and pushed it back, shouldering his way inside her house.

Grinding her teeth, she waited while he stood by the foyer and looked around.

"Looks cozy," he said with a half-smile, turning to her. "We'll hire a housekeeper to look after it while you're living with me."

Rukia walked back to the dining room and lifted another forkful of fruits into her mouth. "Don't worry about it. I'll come in once a week to clean it."

He followed her and pulled out a chair for himself. "You can't be cleaning houses when we're married—that's crazy," he said firmly. "Besides, you won't have time. You'll be busy doing all your social duties."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. How can I forget about all that mindless and idle elbow-rubbing I have to do with your esteemed society friends?"

He studied her for a moment before letting out a slow exhale. "I know it's overwhelming but it's part of the role. I'll do what I can to make it less painful for you but you have to take your duties seriously, Rukia. I won't just stand and let you humiliate me or my family name."

She sent him a look full of daggers. "You're just pissing me off now. Go away, will you?"

His lips quirked into a faint smile. "Not until you sign the revised contract. And we have to go over our story so we don't mess it up with Dad tomorrow."

Rukia opened the thin folder he handed her and flipped through the pages. "Why don't I just stay mute and you can say whatever you want to say? From what I've read in the papers so far, you've spun us a fairy tale romance. I'd hate to ruin it by saying I kissed a prince and he turned into a frog."

He rumbled out a laugh, taking her by surprise. "Did he just seem like a frog to you because you enjoyed the kiss so much when you wanted to absolutely hate it?"

Her cheeks flushed and she feigned a shudder of disgust. "I'd hate to crush your hopes and dreams but it wasn't all that special. I've had and will still have better."

His eyes narrowed. "You're not allowed kissing other men, Rukia. Ever."

She raised a brow, chuckling. "Ever?"

"I mean, at least while you're married to me," he clarified, his jaw clenching when he realized his error.

"I don't know why you'd care," She said with a roll of her eyes. "It's not like you're keeping your legs crossed with other women while married to me."

"It's a marriage of convenience," he bit out, looking agitated now. "And I'm a man with needs."

Rukia scoffed. "And I don't? It's the twenty-first century Ichigo, and your caveman instincts are really out of date."

She watched as the hand he laid on the table curled into a fist. "If you have those needs, you come to me."

The world spun for a second.

\- Did he just really say that?

"What?" She asked dumbly, though her face felt like it was on fire.

"I'll be your husband and it'll be my responsibility to make sure that your needs are taken care of and satisfied," he explained, almost in a business-like tone.

Her temper flared. "So if I have an itch to scratch, I'll come to you and give you the honors."

\- It was crude, I know, but he deserved it.

"Either you do or you live with it on your own," he snapped, straightening in his chair. Clearly, this conversation was making him uncomfortable. Well, that made two of them.

"You have ten seconds to get out of my house,Kurosaki," Rukia grated.

He bolted out of his seat and leaned down at her. "I hate being given countdowns."

She met his steady gaze. "And I hate crass and insensitive jerks like you."

"There's nothing crass about admitting to your sexual desires, Rukia," he replied, his voice softer this time—and more seductive, it would seem. "It's perfectly natural to have them but I'm getting the idea here that you've never really given them free reign."He cupped her chin with his fingers and she fought to stay unaffected.

She moved her face away from him and his smoldering gaze. "Not everyone has the luxury of seeing to their carnal needs, Ichigo, which the whole country knows you indulge in on a regular basis. But don't worry, I'll keep you in mind when I get really, really desperate that I'll screw anything in my path. You would do, I'm sure. After all, a mindless f-ck means nothing, right?"

He looked angry as he pulled back and picked up the contract she'd angrily scribbled her signature on without even reading it thoroughly.

"As for our story, let's just stick with what's on the papers, okay? Because they can definitely see this hoax marriage in a far better light than I can right now," Rukia continued coldly, handing him the first tabloid Inoue gave her earlier. "Now, get out."

He took the paper without glancing at it.

He looked angry and... torn.

"Rukia..."

"Get the hell out of my house."

Without another word, Ichigo stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Oh no..

One year is going to be a freaking eternity.

* * *

me: We decided to keep Ichigo's POV a mystery for now. We're gonna let your imagination take over for that part. :D

whaddya guys think about this chapter? Don't forget to Review!

Thank You for the wonderful reviews, long or short we, appreaciate it and sorry if theres no reply today, nxt chap perhaps.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the favs: Anonymous2234/ Aaina/ Kakorrhaphiophobia/ KawaiiMizetto/ Shiraiberry/ shoma/ starfiregirl788 /achalida / bunny177 / enzeroo86 / rockycombs / sisteraptor / turkeyxx.

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Chapter Five: A lapse of Judgement

* * *

Sunday morning and Rukia had just finished getting ready for the meeting with the Kurosaki's. She wasn't sure whether she was supposed to dress casually as Isshin had seen her before, or dress up so that she looked like an appropriate bride for his son. In the end, she went with the outfit that Inoue picked out for her—happy to not have to make a choice of her own in the end.

It was a sleeveless, eggshell-pink shift dress cinched at the waist with a thin, dark pink leather belt and she paired it up with nude, high-heeled pumps made comfortable by two-inch platforms. She let her hair hang loose around her shoulders. As for her face, she simply dabbed on some blush, flicked on some mascara and swiped a strawberry lip-balm across her mouth.

Rukia looked like a perfect lady and decided that it wasn't right because it didn't look like her at all.

For fun, she layered on a string of pearls and her old, long necklace with a dainty butterfly -shaped pendant. Satisfied, she headed out of the bedroom, grabbing her new, cropped denim jacket along the way.

Ichigo had already arrived, dressed in dark jeans, a navy blue sweater and a cognac-colored leather bomber jacket. He was talking with Ikkaku in the kitchen and the two men's conversation halted when they saw her.

"I'll get the car ready," Ikkaku said with a small nod before turning to go and leaving Ichigo alone by the kitchen island.

"Where's your driver?" she asked, looking around the house. "I didn't get to meet him."

"He just dropped me off and will meet me back at Dad's house," Ichigo answered distractedly as he walked towards her.

He kept staring at her, saying nothing, that her patience snapped. She was still testy from their conversation last night and if he had plans to send her back to her room and change, she'd tell him he and his brunch could go to hell.

"What?" Rukia demanded.

"I'm pretty sure Inoue knew better than to get you butterfly accessories," he commented, his expression giving nothing away as he took a step back, his finger lightly brushing the pendant that rested on the swell of her breasts.

The warmth of his touch seeped through the thin fabric of her dress and gave her a dizzying rush but she shook her head, determined not to let his fleeting intimacies succeed in disarming her. "It's mine and it's staying on," Rukia said stubbornly, moving away from him as if it were the only way to stand her ground. "I didn't get a choice in what you got me for clothes so if I choose to play it up, I'll do it and you're not changing my mind."

She refused to let her gaze waver from him, refusing to stand down, but he caught her off guard when he just grinned and tugged at a lock of her hair playfully.

"Okay," was all he said before he grasped her gently by the elbow and ushered her to the door.

Rukia was still reeling from his reaction as they sat together in the backseat of the car on the way to Isshin's house. She couldn't muster any kind of conversation. She watched absently as Ichigo pushed a button that raised the panel separating us from Ikkaku up front, giving them some privacy.

"You look pretty," he finally said.

Rukia felt flustered. She wasn't used hearing compliments from him. "You too."

Amusement flickered in his eyes as she groaned after realizing what she said. "I mean, you look handsome but you probably hear that all the time so just forget about it, okay?"

His thigh brushed hers. "Why the hell would I? For one, it's a compliment coming from my fiancee, which I've never gotten before since I've never been engaged and two, it's a small victory to hear you admit it."

"As if you need more victories," She muttered, sagging against the seat. "I hardly need any more intimidation considering I'm about ten minutes away from facing your father. He's going to take one look at me and figure it all out."

"Hey, don't think like that," he said, grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers through hers.

Pushing her chin up with another hand, he urged her to meet his eyes—his infernally beautiful, gold-flecked eyes. "Listen to me. I know that Dad won't expect us to be crazy in love with each other. He knows I've never met you before he handed down this condition and he knows how much of a fight I'd put up. He's not going to look for hearts and roses but he'll know if we're faking the attraction. The only way we can convince him that this isn't a total ploy—is to act like we're attracted to each other."

"But we're not," Rukia murmured, her gaze lowering to his lips which were suddenly too near. "Attracted, I mean. We're not attracted to each other."

He laughed softly. "I would've said that earlier this week. I'm not really sure anymore."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not going to put up another kissing performance in front of your father because when I slap you hard, he won't have a doubt in the world that this is a total hoax."

His thumb on the hand entwined with hers rubbed lazy circles on her palm as his eyes lowered to her mouth. "Then don't slap me. Let me kiss you. Enjoy it. Respond to it."

Rukia bit her lip, still stubborn. "I don't just let random guys kiss me."

His mouth quirked on one corner. "I'm not some random guy. I'm your future husband."

"You're my future husband in name only," she corrected. "Which is probably worse."

He sighed but his arm somehow made its way around her waist and he dragged her closer to him with it. "Fine. Then think of me as some guy you're attracted to. Some guy you like spending time with. Some guy you won't mind if he slowly leans in close and tells you you're beautiful. Some guy who draws you into an intimate moment. Some guy you want to be close to. Some guy you're curious to kiss. Some guy whose lips you want to feel on yours."

The moment was hypnotic that her eyes simply fluttered close when Ichigo's lips brushed hers.

"Some guy whose arms you want to hold you."

Rukia sank deeper into his embrace as his arms tightened around her, gathering her over his lap.

"Some guy who's going to earn every kiss you give him back."

His tongue teased at the seam of her lips, coaxing for entrance and gaining it with barely any resistance from her. Her hand found its way to the nape of his neck, her fingers raking through his hair as their kiss fused into shared gasps and moans.

"Who's going to make every conscious thought vanish," he said as they pulled away for a fraction of a second to drag in more air. "Who's going to make you senseless with want, boneless with desire."

Rukia shivered as his hot, demanding mouth reclaimed hers, his hand sliding down to cup her breast, his thumb kneading intently on the hardened tip straining against the confines of her bra.

Tormented by a sudden ache that tightened her every nerve ending, She gasped out his name and let her head roll back, arching to his touch as he leaned close and anchored his mouth on her neck.

"Well, I guess that tells me everything I need to know."

The amused statement cut through the thick fog of Rukia's lust and snapped her back to reality with the effectiveness of an ice-cold bath. Her eyes widened as it focused on the open door of the car that revealed them to an awaiting audience of four people—Isshin Kurosaki and his other three children.

"Close your eyes, Yuzu!" the shrill voice of the eldest sister, Nelliel - the adopted one, broke through Rukia's shock and horror as she watched her wrap a hand over the eyes of the youngest Kurosaki sibling.

"Nel-chan, I'm eighteen already I'm not a baby anymore." Yuzu said while taking Nel's hand that was covering her eyes.

"I can't believe you brought her here, Ichigo" Nelliel continued on acidly, glaring at her older brother who was still straddled under Rukia, his hands resting on her hips.

She glanced down at him in stupefied speechlessness and found him smiling up at her, his hazel eyes bright with good humor and his kiss-swollen lips curved into a lazy smile. Realizing their position, Rukia jumped off his lap and scrambled into a corner of the backseat behind Ichigo as if to protect herself from his family.

"Of course, I brought her here, Nel," Ichigo said as he straightened up and grabbed Rukia by the wrist. "She's your future sister-in-law. There's no better time for you to get to know her than today."

\- He has no idea. Absolutely none! -

"I know her, Ichigo She went to high school with me."

Ichigo didn't seem surprised as he slid out of the car and held the car door open for her. "Yes, same school but I doubt that your class mingled with the working students, Nel, which is why you probably don't know Rukia very well."

"If she did, I'd have fewer problems," Isshin muttered under his breath as he stepped forward and extended a hand to Rukia, smiling broadly. "Hello, Rukia-chan. Missed me?"

The old man's eyes were kind and her initial horror quickly disappeared.

"Hi, Isshin-san. Good to see you again," Rukia said shyly as she took his hand and eased out of the car, trying as subtly as she could to straighten her dress as Ichigo reached out to brush her hair down and tuck a stray lock behind her ear. The intimate gesture alarmed her that she swatted his hand before she could think better of it and he retaliated with a grin and a pinch of her nose.

Isshin, having seen the exchange, laughed out loud and pulled her in for a quick hug. "It is good to see you, Rukia-chan, especially here with my son and his ring on your finger."

Rukia's heart plummeted into her stomach but Ichigo smoothly wrapped an arm behind her waist and pulled her to his side, the gesture oddly reassuring when it was simply another embellishment to their act.

"I couldn't let her get away. She didn't make it easy on me but I quickly convinced her."

He gave her a meaningful but teasing look and she flushed. "Yes, well. When Ichigo has his mind set on something, nothing can stop him. It was a little overwhelming at first but I like a decisive guy."

Isshin beamed at them. "I'm glad to hear that. You know I welcome you to my family like one of my own, Rukia-chan, but in case you haven't had any proper introductions to them, these are my daughters, Nelliel, my eldest. Karin, and Yuzu my twins. Children, this is Rukia Kuchiki—a good friend of mine and your brother's fiancee."

"Hi, Rukia-chan nice meeting you." Karin smiled offering up her hand.

Yuzu, widely smiled at her and did the same. "I'm very excited about meeting you and curious as well. I never thought Ichi-nii would get married anytime soon. You'll be part of our family and -

"She won't."

Rukia felt Nelliel's glare burn a hole through her.

Rukia had known that she was going to eventually run into Nelliel when she married Ichigo but it didn't concern her so much until she was face to face with her today. She and Nelliel never had any quarrel between them but Rukia failed to remember just how Nelliel were above reproach in the entire time she knew of her.

Nelliel Kurosaki was Sereitei Academy's queen bee during high school. She was beautiful and statuesque with long, greenish blue hair and mesmerizing eyes. With her wealth and social status added on top of her natural beauty and grace, she was easily the most popular girl that all the boys wanted to date and all the girls wanted to copy.

She was smart and confident and often played nice with everyone but her friends were an entirely different story. Her pals often poked fun at the other kids—the unpopular, the awkward, the misfits and the poor.

Rukia stayed out of their radar for the first couple of years but one time, Senna, one of her bitchiest friends, decided she wasn't happy with the her talking to one of the school jocks she was helping find a book in the library. Senna started talking about her out loud around a group of people who were snickering and cheering her on. Rukia was provoked but did her best to ignore the woman until she started talking about her family. Rukia quickly decided she had enough.

Rukia grabbed a hulking hardbound dicitionary, spread it open to the page where the word 'bitch' was defined and laid it flat on the table in front of Senna and her captive audience, saying, "It says it's a female dog. Since I don't see you on four legs and paws, I'm assuming it's either your face or the other meaning which isn't in this dictionary. If you're not, then stop acting like one."

Rukia walked out with her head high but inside she was kicking herself mentally for letting Senna take her down to her level and potentially risking her scholarship. To her surprise, nothing ever came of it except for Senna never messing with her again although she still gave Rukia the usual evil eye and the other kids in school giving her wide berth whenever she was around.

Rukia and Nelliel never clashed but with her friendship to Senna and all the nasty possibilities for her motives in marrying her brother, Rukia understood her reaction.

"Alright kids, now let's head inside and start brunch," Isshin announced as he led the troop of Kurosaki's inside the palatial house.

With Ichigo's clasp on Rukia's waist, they lagged behind the rest of them.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Ichigo murmured to her. "Dad looks convinced.

She grimaced. "Your sister don't. I shouldn't have taken for granted the fact that she knew where I came from. In most people's minds, nothing changes after high school."

"I know Nelliel, she'll come around," he said nonchalantly.

"Or she could go digging into our whirlwind courtship and find out the truth," She retorted with a small groan as they walked up the large, airy hallway. "They won't buy the whole Cinderella-story crap. They know you even better. They won't understand why you would marry me."

He glanced down at her with a smirk, his eyes dark with meaning. "I think after seeing us earlier in the backseat like that, they can figure out one or two reasons why we're rushing to get married."

"Ichigo! That was a lapse of judgement on my part and a cheap trick on yours," Rukia hissed at him under her breath, elbowing him on the side as her face flamed in embarrassment at the reminder of their steamy make-out session in the back of his car.

She struggled not to remember the feel and taste of his mouth, of his relentless hands all over her, of the fire that replaced the blood in her veins—and failed utterly when he leaned close and laughed softly against her ear, his lips brushing the sensitive skin on it. "You can have a lapse of judgement with me anytime, babe."

"Not in this lifetime," She ground out, hoping that he was getting the full impact of her glare. "I didn't even like it."

Thorougly amused, he suddenly hooked his arm around her waist and lifted her up against his chest which was vibrating with laughter as she let out a shriek before she could think better of it.

"Everything okay?" Isshin's statement sounded puzzled but amused.

Ichigo swung her to the side to grin at his father and siblings who'd halted in the long march to wherever the breakfast nook was and nodded in reassurance. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just settling an argument with my fiancee. Go on ahead of us."

"Ichigo, put me down," Rukia murmured against his neck where she'd buried her face in mortification. "This is a bit excessive, don't you think?"

His face turned to her, a mere inch or two away from hers, their conversation hidden behind the curtain of Rukia's hair. "I'll put you down if you admit that you liked it. You're not a very good liar, Rukia."

She glowered at him. "Really? After all that practice you've given me?"

He ignored that comment. "Admit it. You enjoyed every bit of that kiss."

She bit her lip. "I will admit to nothing. Why do you care anyway? You need an ego boost that badly?"

"No. I just want to know that you're not unaffected by it," he said with a smug smile. "Because if it didn't move you, I could always kiss you again."

The look on his face told her that he meant it.

"Damn you, Kurosaki," Rukia muttered, pummeling his shoulder weakly with her fist. "Alright, I admit it. I liked it. Happy now?"

"Good enough," he said before suddenly pulling her down for a quick but passionate kiss and promptly releasing her back on her feet right after.

She was oddly annoyed and thrilled at the same time and she didn't really wish to explain it to anyone. Good thing that when she turned back around to face Ichigo's family, the hallway was empty except for the two of them.

As Ichigo took her hand and led her forward to continue their journey to wherever in this enormous mansion the brunch was taking place, Rukia briefly wondered that if his family hadn't been there as their audience, for whose benefit was that last kiss intended?

.

.

Brunch was actually a pretty fun affair if Rukia didn't count the number of snide remarks Nelliel threw her way before Ichigo finally gave her a stern, iron-clad warning to shove it.

Rukia surprised herself by not flinging any cheeky response back at her but she was in a good mood, having a good meal and a semblance of a family she haven't experienced in years. She just couldn't be bothered to even worry about Nelliel.

Karin was more civil than her sister but too quiet to even really voice out anything. Isshin was full of stories and jokes and Yuzu was witty and adorable. Even Ichigo was relaxed, his expression open, and his smiles easy and plenty that she almost forgot the whole ploy they were running here.

Isshin asked general questions about their meeting and nearly-instantaneous decision to marry. Ichigo mostly started the answers and she added on to them a bit. Isshin was mildly surprised that the wedding was less than two weeks away but Ichigo just smiled smugly and put an arm around her shoulders, saying, "I found what I want and I'm keeping it. Waiting is pointless."

Isshin just smiled and grunted some kind of agreement with his son.

After the meal, the sisters insisted that Ichigo sit out on the covered patio with them to catch up while Isshin wanted to talk to her.

Rukia cast Ichigo a nervous glance but he just smiled at her and gave her a tight nod before following his sisters to the patio.

"I hope that Ichigo didn't push you too hard on this," Isshin said without preliminaries as soon as they were out of earshot. "I would've liked to have seen a long enough engagement but if this is what you both want, I have no problem with it."

Isshin must've been hoping for some time for her and Ichigo to naturally come to the conclusion he wanted. Rukia couldn't tell him that Ichigo just wanted this whole marriage to be done and over with as quickly as possible because the sooner they married, the sooner they could divorce.

Her heart squeezed with guilt.

"It's hard to explain how this all went so fast but it's happening and I'm going to let it,"

Isshin glanced at her with a warm smile, his eyes glinting with a knowing light. "Ichigo has always had a way with women so I'm not surprised at how quickly he got you to agree to this. Knowing you though, I'm certain you're not leaving him completely in charge which is a good thing."

"Oh, trust me," She told him with a laugh. "The constant battle for the upper-hand definitely keeps things interesting."

The old man chuckled. "I'm glad. He needs someone who can stand up to him and turn his world on its ear every now and then."

"Aren't you worried about him turning my world on its ear?"

He grinned. "I'm sure he's going to give it as good as he gets. Ichigo will be a handful for a husband but he'll be generous and good to you. It's about time you enjoy life a little, Rukia-chan, and let someone take care of you this time around."

Her heart swelled with affection for the old man as she realized that maybe he formulated this idea in an attempt to help both her and his son at the same time—together.

She wasn't sure why he'd go as far as blackmailing Ichigo to accomplish it but whatever the details of his reason were, she couldn't resent him for it. If this made him happy, then it would be worth it, with or without the money.

"I don't have very much left in this life, Rukia-chan," he said as if somehow sensing the train of her thoughts. "I would like to see the people I love and care about happy and settled before I go."

Rukia's hand tightened its grip on his arm. "Isshin-san, don't talk like that. You're not dying."

He sighed, his smile wistful. "We're all dying. It's just a matter of when we do. They key is to live as much as we can and love as hard as we're able to before the time comes. It's something I want my children to know and keep in mind when I'm no longer here to remind them of it."

She felt the sting of tears but quickly blinked them back and forced a smile out for him. "You're a good Dad, Isshin-san. Your children are lucky to have you."

He patted her hand on his arm. "Well, you're to be counted among them pretty soon. I'm really happy you're marrying my son, Rukia-chan. And from now on, I want you to call me Dad."

Rukia blushes but smiled warmly at the old man. "I will. Dad."

Isshin kissed her cheek and called his youngest daughter. "Let's go and get Cook to pack up some food for Ichigo and Rukia-chan, Yuzu. These two should probably head out soon if they want to spend the rest of Sunday together. Come on."

They were silent as they watched father and daughter leave the room.

"I can't believe you're marrying someone like her !" Nelliel burst out, pointing an accusing finger at Rukia. "She's got you and Dad poisoned. Don't you see that?"

Ichigo gave her a withering stare as he stood and offered a hand to help Rukia up. "What I see is you acting like a brat, Nelliel."

Her eyes widened angrily. "A brat? A brat—"

"I understand your concern, Nelliel, and I admire the fact that you're protective of your family," Rukia interjected softly although her gaze never wavered. "You don't have to like me. You don't have to get along with me. You don't even have to be nice to me. But don't antagonize your father or brother because of me because you'll always lose when you jeopardize your relationship with your family trying to pick a fight with someone who has no interest in having one with you. All you'll manage to accomplish is wasting precious time and energy, sabotaging yourself and hurting people you care about along the way. I don't imagine my suffering is worth much more than all that."

Her mouth opened in an automatic response to dish something back but just closed it back.

"We're leaving," Ichigo announced before either of his sisters could say anything else.

He grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the door.

Once out in the hallway, Rukia sighed out loud. "I'm sorry I'm causing trouble between you and Nel but I felt that I needed to say that. I don't have illusions that she's going to just love me all of a sudden so it's probably better that we just all agreed to disagree peacefully and move on."

"If that was how you stood up to her in high school, I can see why she would find you intimidating."

She glanced up at to see if he was upset but he was smiling in amusement at her.

"I don't remember Nelliel hurting anyone before. Besides I wasn't going out of my way to provoke people like your sister,"

"You probably didn't but when they provoked you, you made no bones about exactly what you thought of their actions and called them out for it," he said with a shrug as if he perfectly understood her reasons.

She groaned and ran a hand down her face. "If I'm going to wing this whole marriage thing with you for a year, I can't afford enemies. The less people I have interested in me and our unusually quick engagement, the better I'm able to pull this off."

His hand, the one she didn't realize was still holding hers until he tightened his grip, seized her in place, halting their walk and causing her to look up at him.

"I agree but I would never want you to stand back down when you can do what's right," he said in a firm voice.

Rukia smiled mischievously at him, her brows arching. "You do know that you just told me to persist on my opinion when you're in the wrong, don't you?"

He barked out a laugh and she grinned.

Their morals were skewed, their inconvenient attraction was complicating matters and their lives were about to become one big combined chaos but at that moment, standing in the sunny hallway, holding hands and laughing, Rukia decided that she and Ichigo were going to be alright.

* * *

me: Okay, about Nelliel. Just to be clear she's not the bad guy here. You guys might think she's ooc, maybe a bit but in Bleach adult Nel was far more mature, intelligent, confident, strong etc than her child form. Remember her lecturing noitra? That's why we used Nelliel and not the cute little Nel.

But in this fic, Nelliel is one of the main character and she has a good reason for why she's acting that way and that's when Grimmjow comes in.

Ninya loves GrimmNel too much hehehe, how about you readers, which one of you likes GrimmNel romance? What do you think about this chapter too?

.-.-.-.

Thank you so much for the amazing reviews last chapter guys. Your support in this story is very overwhelming. Ninya and I appreciate it bigtime!

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And to all of my guest reviewers. I really hope you guys put a name so I'd know which one of you to reply. :)

And again, because of my laptop's keyboard not working, I won't be able to reply again. Sorry guys.

I wanna say, thank you shirayukideathberry for your warm welcome and for enjoying the story. And anonymous 2234 , I hope I could keep your interest until the end.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the favs: The forever observing/Bunny 177/emmi rukichi/ imaprodigy. And to those of you following this fic too.

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

* * *

Chapter Six: The engagement party

* * *

When she was five, Nelliel's parents died in a tragic accident and because she was the only child and no relatives wanted to keep her, she was adopted by her father's business partner Isshin Kurosaki. At her age that time she was afraid of what would happen to her and the traumatic experience change her much more than she could remember. But Isshin helped her recover, welcomed her into his family, loved her like she's his own flesh and blood. That's when Nelliel promised to protect this family, no matter what it takes.

Since childhood Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, now Kurosaki, was known for her intellectual gift. She's smart—very smart. But there was a time she allowed herself to be stupid.

It was Christmas and she was twelve and his name is Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

Ichigo was the eldest child older than her for five years and she always saw him to be wiser and more worldly. Nelliel remember those times she pestered him, wanted him to come play with her, tell her stories, take her places. And being a softie, he often did -Ichigo cared for her just as much as he cared for Karin and Yuzu- And often, Grimmjow, his best friend, tagged along as well. He wasn't an orphan like Nelliel but some days, he almost seemed like one based on the amount of time he spent with their family.

Around the beginning of December, just before everyone took themselves off to the holidays, their parents would throw two Christmas parties—one for the adults and another one for all the children. Nel was at a stage when she felt like she were getting too old to attend but still wanted to. There were pretty little cakes and gifts for every single kid that she wanted to miss out.

That time, she'd gotten braces with pink stones on them and her hair had grown long enough since its last trim to have developed softer, wispier ends. She was feeling pretty good about herself then—until one of the girls from her class deliberately spilled soda on her dress after she'd refused to swap the mini make-up kit she'd gotten as a present. That girl told Nel to keep the make-up kit because she obviously needed it if she didn't want to look hideous.

Nel wore a stony expression, bit off the girl's head and told her to leave. She continued to wear it as Mom tried to tell her to not take the taunt personally. Nel shed no tear or made any sound as the evening wore on and everyone came together for a small family dinner. She snuck outside behind the kitchen where the large garbage bin was located and shoved the make-up kit into it, knocking the metal lid to the ground with a loud clang.

The door opened and Grimmjow stuck his head out, frowning when he saw her in the middle of picking up the lid. He already heard about what happened.

She didn't say anything as she calmly replaced the lid but Grimmjow fully stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

"You know what the difference is between girls who are already beautiful and girls who only care to be that and nothing else?" he asked as he leaned a shoulder against the doorway.

Nelliel raised a brow. "Destiny?"

Grimmjow raised his own. "Well. That wasn't the answer I was expecting."

She wasn't in the mood for Grimmjow's or anybody else's humor. "Then answer your own question so I can go back in and go to bed."

For a second, she thought he'd smiled but he pulled the serious expression back on his face quickly. "The difference, Nel is that girls who are already truly and completely beautiful inside out, don't need to hurt anybody to make sure no one could compete. They know there is no competition. They're not bothered by it. They know they've got it. The girl who hurt you tonight clearly knows she doesn't have it all."

"Sounds like bullshit."

Grimmjow's brows drew together into a scowl. "Where did you learn to talk like that?"

Nel shrugged. "I'm not a baby anymore Grimm. I can read and hear things. And you and Ichigo don't always notice I'm around when you talk."

He dragged a hand down his face, looking a little exasperated. "This is what I get for trying to be a nice guy."

"You don't have to be a nice guy," She told him. "You definitely don't have to lie to me just to be one."

Grimmjow was visibly frustrated. "Still. What she did wasn't right."

"I know that."

"Then why are you sulking?" he demanded.

"What she did was wrong but she wasn't lying," She told him bluntly even though it stung her to admit it. "I'm not beautiful and I'm okay with that. I didn't keep the make-up kit to try to be different but now I'm not keeping it because it just reminds me of nasty memories."

His expression softened. "Nel, listen. Beautiful is just one word with so many meanings. You don't have to be everything that the word means. You just have to find how it already perfectly defines you."

She wasn't sure if Grimmjow was still aware that he was talking to a twelve-year-old but something in what he said cracked a big piece off that chip she'd worn on her shoulder.

She believed him that night.

Worse, she fell in love with him right after he'd said those magical words.

When Valentine's Day came a couple months later, Nel gave him a letter to tell him exactly that because a happily-in-love, totally-feeling-beautiful Nelliel wasn't a smart one. A smart Nel wouldn't have sworn eternal love and promised a grand wedding in a big church.

She waited quietly as he read it, trying to figure out his softly smiling expression. He gave her a broad grin after he lowered the paper and put a hand on top of her head.

"You're a sweet girl," he said, still beaming. "But you're still much too young for love. You'll have to give it several more years before you can really learn what it means."

Nel wasn't sure exactly what he was saying but her heart was thundering too wildly already to back away at that moment. "Okay. I can wait. Will you wait?"

He laughed and really, when Grimmjow laughed, the world grew brighter. It just did.

"For a beautiful girl like you, any guy with a brain would wait," he said. His hand ruffled her hair before he cupped her chin with it. "And if you still love me years from now, when you're old enough and I still have a brain, will you still marry me in that big grand church?"

Like an idiot, she happily nodded and went her merry way, dreaming of the day when she would become Mrs. Jaegerjaques.

It was an illness Nel was going to suffer in the five years that followed, only to be culminated in one quiet devastation.

Nelliel was a very impatient seventeen-year-old the morning she decided to surprise Grimmjow after his trip back from Los Angeles where he'd spent his 22nd birthday. She knew work had him trapped there because he would normally have a small dinner with his parents on his birthday and then brunch with her family the next day.

She'd spent the night trying to call him but it kept going straight to his voicemail. She was already a day late in greeting him so she decided that there was no better way than to greet him first thing in the morning. Conveniently, it was going to be the same morning she'd decided to finally ask Grimmjow straight up if he would date her now. Nelliel was turning eighteen in a couple of months. She wanted to remind him of the fact because surely, eighteen would be old enough to pose no problem with Grimmjow or Ichigo. There would be nothing in his way now.

She was going to give him her journal—the same one that contained a few hundred lovingly written entries from the last five years, each capturing a moment with him that she felt was special. He would have enough time to read it before her birthday and realize that yes, several years later, Nelliel still loved him and it was time he loved her back as promised.

She'd waited a solid five years, tolerated the boys at school who tried to get into her pants and dismissed stories she'd heard about him going out with other girls as nothing serious.

It was, finally, their time.

The driver took Nelliel to Grimmjow's's condo after she told him she was dropping off her late birthday present. She dashed up the elevator and cheerfully greeted Edrad, the head of Grimm's small housekeeping staff, when he opened the door for her.

Usually, the old man was very cordial and friendly to her and her family when one or all of them would sometimes descend on Grimmjow for a quick visit.

But that day, he was looking a little uneasy while telling her that Grimmjow was still jet-lagged and resting. But she couldn't leave just yet either. So she'd told Edrad she'd like a glass of water before she left. The moment the man disappeared into the kitchen, Nelliel bolted from the couch and tiptoed down the opposite hall to Grimmjow's bedroom. She wasn't planning on waking him up but she wanted to leave her diary on his pillow so it would be the first thing he'd see after waking up.

Nelliel quietly opened the door. There was already quite a bit of light in the room that it wasn't hard to locate Grimmjow in the heap of sheets on the bed. She saw his bare foot sticking out, his rumpled hair over a light gray pillow, a muscular arm stretched across the billowy covers.

She smiled and stepped into the room—only to stop short at the rest of what she saw on the bed.

Long, black hair in tangles that still looked sexy around a pretty face, an elegant shoulder peeking from under the covers and a slim hand with French-tipped fingers lightly resting on Grimmjow's bare chest.

Grimmjow was still sleeping, alright—sleeping with the socialite-turned-model Loly Aivirrne.

Nelliel wasn't sure which one she hated more—the brutal truth as it hit her or her lack of control when tears spilled down her cheeks.

She stood there, motionless for a long moment, the guy she'd loved and adored for years changing before her very eyes. The shining armor was gone and all the sweet, gentle words he'd told her all this time started to ring hollow in her ears as she recalled them.

She backed away and out of the door without making a noise to disturb the sleeping lovers. She ran and ran until she nearly slammed into Edrad on her way out.

"Miss Nelliel, are you okay?" the man asked in alarm as he clasped her by the shoulders to keep her from staggering to her knees.

She nodded, gasping through a surge of tears, humiliated even more by what she was about to say next.

"Promise me, Edrad, that you won't ever tell anyone I was here," Nelliel pleaded with the man even as she swiped away at her tears with indignant anger. "Definitely not Grimmjow. Promise me, okay?"

The man murmured his reassurances and that was all she had time for. Still hugging her journal to her chest, Nelliel pushed her way through the main door and rushed to the private elevator.

She'd wasted five years of her life on Grimmjow—she refused to waste another second when he deserved nothing of her time.

On her way back to the car waiting for her, she paused by the trash bin and without a second glance, tossed her diary into it. It was an appropriate ending to what the whole thing finally seemed to be—a total waste.

Smart Nelliel came back right around. And she never left again.

.

.

"How's Bangkok?" Nelliel tried to match her expression to her flippant tone as she inspected herself in the full-length mirror. The struggle was real when she heard in the phone his all-too-familiar voice infused with warmth and humor.

"Beautiful but busy," Grimmjow replied. "Five seconds after arriving home though, I find an invitation to Ichigo's engagement party. I repeat—it's an invitation to his engagement party. Am I losing my mind?"

She grinned and smoothed her hands down the skirt of her dress. "Grimmy. Don't tell me I was right all this time."

"Right about what?"

"That you're really secretly in love with my brother."

A raspy laugh escaped him. "I totally dig your brother. Don't tell him. The other girls are just distractions."

Her smile disappeared at the mention of the 'other girls' because Grimmjow was acquainted with a tremendous amount of them. After finding him in bed with Loly Aivirrne about two years ago, the blinders came off and she saw the extra-long trail of women Grimmjow had been involved with. It was much, much longer than the line-up at the girl's bathroom at a house party but everyone looked about the same—restless, snappy and ready to pee their pants off.

"Well, you're just going to have to nurse that broken heart because from the looks of things at brunch, Rukia's got him hook, line and sinker," she told him, forcing a lighter tone to her words.

"It's a little fast, don't you think?" Grimmjow asked, all serious now. "Who's Rukia anyway? Is she pregnant? What do you know about her?"

"Why don't you interrogate Ichigo?"

"Do you think a guy marrying someone he's known for a week is going to give me a unbiased answer?" he retorted. "If he's getting played so well he can't even think straight, I need to figure out how to help him."

"Just come to the party and pass your judgement then," Nelliel told him, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "No matter what I think of my brother and his recent choices, I'm going to be there with the rest of our family. They're going to need all the support they can get if they want to weather the talk. There's bound to be some considering how fast they went from zero to a hundred."

"You're an amazing sister, Nel. You know that right?"

The tenderness in his words did nothing to stop her grimace.

Sister—the last thing she wanted Grimmjow to see her as for as long as she could remember.

"You know I'd do the same for you," was her gruff reply.

She could hear him smiling as he answered, "Will you, really? You'll smile and cheer for me if I'm about to have my own shotgun wedding?"

Nelliel knew he was teasing because he probably didn't even remember her asking to marry him one day but she still bristled at the joke. "I'll bring the shotgun and deliver you myself to the girl you're going to turn into a miserable bride."

Grimmjow burst out laughing. "Fine. I'm not allowing shotguns to come near you and I'm going to stay NOT married for a good long while to keep the peace."

"Don't try to make up some noble reason for your staying a bachelor," She scoffed. "Everyone knows you're doing it because matrimony means monogamy in this side of the world and that's just not your style."

"You make it sound as if I'm not capable of being exclusive with one woman." There was an almost petulant tilt to his voice at that protest.

She shrugged, smiling a little. "The question is not whether you're capable or not. The question is if you're even willing to be exclusive. Your mantra's always been the more, the merrier."

"You know, Nel, you're a great sister but you're a terrible friend," he complained.

Great. First, sister-zoned. Now, friend-zoned.

"Someone's got to be honest with you, Grimm," she said. "And I can't help it that I'm always the one around when you're making mistakes." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to hang up on you now because I have to finish getting ready. I'll see you at the party."

But Grimmjow sometimes just didn't know when to quit it. "Are you bringing a date?"

She smirked. "Nah. Couldn't find a guy small enough to put in my pocket."

He huffed out a laugh. "That's my girl. Wait till someone's worthy of you."

She laughed, said her goodbyes and hung up. Nelliel stared on her phone for a very long time.

\- Well, that definitely won't be you, Grimm, because one, I'm done waiting for you and two, you're not worthy of me.

.

.

It was the big day.

No. Wait.

Not that big day. Just the engagement party.

It was the first official and public event that Ichigo and Rukia were attending even though they've only invited around a hundred people or so—ninety-five percent of which she have never met before.

"Do I look presentable?" She asked as she moved away from the mirror and faced Inoue, Rangiku, and Yumichika who were clustered around as they made the final touches to her look tonight.

"Don't insult us by calling yourself presentable, Rukia," Yumichika chided, patting the tip of her nose with the fluffy end of his powder brush. "You look absolutely gorgeous. Am I right, girls?"

The two women nodded their approval and assured her that she was going to take everyone's breath away.

Rukia glanced back at the mirror, studying her reflection.

Yumichika had tweaked the dress, taking it to the next level when he lengthened the skirt to a slim, floor-length A-line shape, overlapping the old rose-colored tulle with a layer of a pale, burnished gold version. The beadwork remained but he'd cut out the back into a deep V that stopped just at the small of her back and he removed the cap sleeves, displaying her shoulders and collarbone with the boatneck cut in front. Her hair was swept up in a mix of messy braids pinned together in low bun.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyelids dusted with a pale, pinkish gold shade, her lashes maximized with dark, brown-black mascara and her lips dabbed with a tinted lip balm. Rangiku insisted they kept her make up minimal for a barely-there look. He said it kept her looking young and elegant without trying too hard.

The doorbell sounded.

"Oh, that would be Mr. Kurosaki," Inoue said as she hurried to the door. "Let's wrap it up."

"Here you go, Ruks," Rangiku said as she handed her a white, flat leather clutch studded with pale gold beads. "Now, lift your chin up, square your shoulders and look down on everyone else."

Rukia wrinkled her nose. "I don't look down on people, Ran. Let's try a different mantra. I'll lift my chin up, square my shoulders and think..."

Yumichika, Inoue and Rangiku looked at her expectantly.

"That after the party, I'm making Ichigo get me a cheeseburger with fries after I starved myself today to fit into this dress," Rukia finished with a smug smile. "No one will suspect that while I seem to be nibbling here and there, I'm looking forward to my fast-food treat."

Rangiku groaned and smacked her head. "You are the weirdest girl, I swear. Savoureux is catering your party and you're fantasizing about cheeseburgers."

"Who's fantasizing about cheeseburgers?" Ichigo's voice drifted into the room as he strode in, sharply dressed in a sleek, dark brown suit with a cognac-colored tie.

He looked so perfect it hurt to stare at him.

Rukia bit her lip. "Me. I told them you'll need to take me out for cheeseburgers and fries later as a reward for my restraint in not eating more than just crackers today."

His hazel eyes lazily appraised her as he stopped a foot away, his lips curving in an admiring smile.

"I'll get you as many cheeseburgers as you want just for looking the way you do right now," he said, his eyes crinkling . "For now, I hope this will do."

He pulled back and lifted a long, jeweler's box he'd been holding and opened it for her.

She could hear the gasps from everyone else in the room.

"Do you like it?" he asked as he lifted the chain out of the box and held it up for her.

It was a necklace with a short white gold chain, encrusted with alternating pink and clear round diamonds in slightly varying sizes.

"It's lovely," Rukia croaked out through the emotions stuck in her throat as Ichigo smiled and moved behind her to secure the necklace around her neck. "You shouldn't have, though."

"Yes, I should have," he said sofly as he turned her gently to him, his fingers cupping her chin. "It's our engagement party."

\- For a marriage of convenience, yes, except that the damn lines are blurring.

"Thank you," She said, smiling back at him. "I'll take care of it, make sure it's safely returned to you later tonight."

His brows shot up and he glanced around to make sure everyone was busy cleaning up to pay too much attention to them. He leaned in, his lips brushing the sensitive skin just before her ear as he whispered, "It's a gift, Rukia. I want you to have it."

"Okay," She mumbled out faintly, awkward all of a sudden with her conflicting emotions. She placed her hand on his chest though, and looked up at him with another smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said before taking the hand she'd placed on his chest and using it to wrap her arm around his as he turned to all the people assisting her. "Thank you again for all your help. We have to get going now though. We'll see all of you at the party later."

Rukia beamed at everyone and gave them a little wave as Ichigo escorted her to the door. He had easily agreed to her suggestion to let her style team come since she didn't really have a lot of friends invited to this party.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the venue. Ichigo helped her out of the car and camera lights were already flashing before she could even straighten herself up. There was a small area corded off for the media and reporters were craning their necks to get a better view of them.

"I promised them ten minutes tonight before we go in," She told Ichigo before she slowly made her way to the paps, taking care not to trip in her four-inch strappy gold sandals. "Come, Ichigo. It won't take long."

He looked uncertain for a moment but he nodded and walked with her. Ikkaku was already there, stepping away when Ichigo and her arrived.

She heard Ichigo mutter under his breath as they got barraged with questions but he stayed by her side, his body angled toward her in a protective stance.

Rukia smiled at him, touching his jaw reassuringly. "Don't worry. You don't have to say anything. I've got this."

He glanced down at her with a raised brow. "You're not used to this, Rukia."

"Used to it enough in the last few days," She told him before she stepped forward and beamed at the reporters.

For the next ten minutes, Rukia rambled on in easy, upbeat conversation with everyone. Ten minutes later, Ichigo practically dragged her away.

"I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that you talk to the paps like you're all buddies," he murmured, slipping an arm behind her waist.

She shrugged. "I got to know them pretty well. Spending all day running around trying to take photos or talk to people who have no interest in dealing with them is a diffcult job so I try to make it easier for them. It's a good system. They leave me alone when I ask them, and I give them something back so they can do their job. We all get along that way."

Ichigo's hold on her arm tightened and kept her in place just as they were about to walk through the front door. His other hand rested on hers hip and his forehead touched hers.

"I really shouldn't be surprised anymore but I am," he said with a smile "Come on. Everyone wants to meet you."

The doors opened and her hand on Ichigo's arm gripped harder.

A voice boomed through the PA and announced them with a lively congratulations on their upcoming wedding.

Rukia swallowed hard. Her heart might have possibly relocated somewhere in the vicinity of her throat but there was nothing to be done about it now.

"You're going to do great, Rukia," he murmured under his breath while gracing the crowd who turned to them at their arrival with a brilliant smile. People started applauding.

She nodded slightly, glancing up at him. "Cheeseburgers and fries later, okay?"

He looked at her, his hazel eyes crinkling at the corners in humor. "Cheeseburgers and fries."

He took her hand and gently led her forward just as Isshin stepped out and greeted both of them with a hug, smiling and laughing.

"Rukia-chan, look at you! You're exquisite!" he said as he leaned in to kiss her on the forehead. "Isn't she, son?"

"She is," Ichigo agreed with an indulgent smile.

She smiled. "You're looking good too, Isshi- I mean Dad." Rukia finished with a sheepish smile.

The old man had a healthy flush on his cheeks and his eyes were bright and clear.

"If I didn't know better, I would suspect you're out to break some girl's heart here tonight at our party," She told him teasingly.

He chuckled. "Not an old man like me. I'm just here to wish you well and make sure you have a grand time." Then his expression sobered up a little as he added in a lower voice. "Frankly, I thought I'd better damn make sure no one gives you any problems, Rukia-chan. I doubt though that anyone could get away with any of that crap with you."

"No, they couldn't," Ichigo answered in a firm voice, pulling me in a little closer to him. "I'll take care of her, Dad."

Isshin smiled at his son. "I know you will." Then he punched Ichigo on the shoulder -who winced in pain- and winked at her. "Well, you two now make your rounds and put everyone out of their misery. They can't wait to meet Rukia-chan. Program's starting in half an hour and then dinner. I'll see you two around later. Rukia-chan, go knock 'em out."

And just like that, they were dismissed as Isshin strode away.

"Your father is such a weirdo, sometimes."

Ichigo scowled. "You have no idea." He took a deep breath then smiled at her. "Now, what would you like to drink?"

Rukia grinned and peered at the offerings on the server's tray. "Um, I can't drink any of this stuff."

Understanding dawned in Ichigo's eyes. "Right. You're only nineteen." He turned to the server. "What's your name?"

The young man blinked nervously at Ichigo. "Um, Hanataro, sir."

Ichigo smiled at him. "Hanataro, my man, I'm going to ask you to personally see to my fiancee's drinks tonight. Can you please ensure she's supplied with whatever she would like from the bar?"

Hanataro nodded and glanced at her. "Of course. What would you like, miss?"

Rukia decided to take pity on the poor guy. Ichigo was very nice in asking but he was naturally intimidating to anyone with a softer spine. "Any kind of fruity mocktail will do. Thank you, Hanataro."

"You're welcome, miss. I'll be right back with it," he said with a slight, awkward bow.

They turned and found a tall man with spiky dark blue hair and turquoise colored eyes walking up to them and smiling broadly.

"I come home from Bangkok after a two-week business trip and find an invitation to my best friend's engagement party and wedding," he said as he stopped in front of them and clapped Ichigo's shoulder, his gaze focusing on her with appreciation. "I thought someone was playing a prank on me but then I see the bride and completely understand why Kurosaki here is stumbling over himself to get shackled."

Rukia glanced up at Ichigo who was rolling his eyes. "You have a best friend?"

The other man laughed. "She doesn't seem nearly as impressed with you as you are with her. What's wrong, man? Losing your touch?"

"Rukia, this poor excuse for a friend is Grimmjow Jaegerjaques," Ichigo introduced. "Grimm, meet Rukia Kuchiki, my fiancee."

Grimmjow took her hand and kissed the back of it. "A real pleasure to meet you, Miss Kuchiki. You look stunning tonight. If I'd known about you, I wouldn't have left. I would've done my best to steal you away from Ichigo."

She relaxed. Grimmjow clearly didn't know about her arrangement with his friend.

Rukia gave him a cheeky smile. "I don't know about that. I can't say that a consummate flirt is a better choice over a brooding tyrant."

Grimmjow's brows shot up in surprise for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Oh, boy. I can see that you know my friend pretty well here and I don't believe I'm going to fare better than he did in your opinion."

Ichigo let out a near growl, his arm wrapping around her waist possessively. "No, you aren't,Grimjoww, so stop flirting with my fiancee."

Grimmjow gave him a challenging look. "I will if you stop monopolizing her. You've been in the party ten minutes and she hasn't met a single guest other than me and Isshin. With all the headlines Rukia has been making in the past week, everyone's getting impatient to meet her."

Rukia grimaced. "Oh, no. I should've done my best to stay under the radar."

Grimmjow shook his head. "No, you shouldn't. And I'm sure you wouldn't have succeeded anyway. Ichigo was an eligible bachelor, Rukia. Everyone will be curious about the woman who snagged him all the way down to the altar."

"Hmm, sounds like I need to find some rope to drag you to the altar on our wedding day, Ichigo," She told Ichigo with a mock-serious expression. "That's the only way we're going to convince people."

Ichigo laughed and murmured, "I can think of other more enjoyable uses for the rope on our wedding night, babe."

She flushed and Grimmjow just laughed and shook his head. "You two better make your rounds, sit through the program and dinner, and get the hell out of here."

And so they spent the next twenty minutes moving around, meeting one guest after another.

The announcement for the short program before dinner had just been made when Ichigo caught her by the elbow to draw her out of her conversation with a Greek socialite and environmental activist.

"Hey, there are some people who wanted to see you," he said to her with a mischievous grin just as he led her past a few tables to a small group waiting for them just at the outskirts of the ballroom.

"Kisuke! Yoruichi-san ! Nanao-san! Isane! Kiyone!"

Rukia must've looked incredibly silly with her jaw hanging open as she surveyed the group of guests Inoue was ushering toward then.

A half a dozen of her friends and co-workers from Urahara's were there too, all prettily-dressed and looking in awe of the whole event.

"Inoue, did you get them all over here?" She asked her assitant who looked lovely in an emerald green dress. "How? Why? Wha—"

"Mr. Kurosaki arranged for all of it," she answered, nodding at Ichigo. "It was a surprise."

Rukia turned to him and found him grinning down at her. Her heart couldn't take it as it tightened with a ridiculous sense of happiness.

"Thank you!" She gushed at him and before she could think better of it, she practically leapt into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck as he easily caught her and lifted her off the floor. "Thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome," he said as their noses touched. Then his eyes closed as he cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead. Then He smiled and nodded at the rest of her guests. "Come on, everyone. Let's get you all seated. Appetizers are being served and dinner should be ready after the short program my father insisted on."

Rukia stayed behind the group as Ichigo led them to a table close to ours, chatting easily with some of them when she didn't think he'd met most of them before.

"I have a stupid grin on my face, don't I?" She said to Inoue who stayed back with her.

She laughed. "You do but it looks good there. I can see this is a total shocker."

"It is," Rukia admitted, watching as Ichigo turning to speak to her previous boss, extending a hand to the man. "It's an amazingly sweet, totally welcome, absolutely mind-blowing shocker."

Inoue laughed. "Well, Mr. Kurosaki is quite besotted with you so this isn't that out of character."

\- Isn't it? Ichigo's only obligation is to marry me, keep me for a year and pay me a million. Him being sweet and thoughtful isn't part of the bargain but he doesn't seem to mind. Maybe he isn't as mercenary or cold as I thought he was.

With a broad grin, she sauntered to Ichigo who held out a hand to her, waiting patiently, his hazel eyes sparkling.

It required little effort to forget their secret when he was smiling at her like she was the only girl in the room.

\- Maybe, just maybe, neither of us were just pretending anymore.

.

.

The program was short but sweet.

Isshin had gotten up the stage to speak, thanking everyone first for coming tonight before turning eyes to Rukia and Ichigo who sat back, their entwined hands resting on his lap.

"There are many things I could say why I'm happy that the two of you are getting married," he started solemnly that for a second she worried he was suddenly going to blurt out that he'd blackmailed Ichigo into marrying her.

Her tension eased when he smiled. "But I won't burden you with my reasons. I'd let you find them out on your own and cross my fingers that you will understand one day."

Isshin wins the cryptic award. That sly old man.

Rukia just smiled back at him, aware of Ichigo's fingers squeezing hers gently as his father backed away from the stage and called up a performer. Dinner was announced and although Ichigo was as polite and attentive as ever, she could feel the strange shift in his mood. Before she could ask him about it after they dined, he excused himself to talk to some people about business.

Business, when he did promise he wouldn't do any of that tonight.

He reappeared when the dancing started, sweeping her around the ballroom just right before other couples joined them.

"Everything alright?" Rukia asked, observing his inscrutable expression. "You've been quiet."

His lips tightened into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm fine, Rukia."

And that was the end of that conversation.

Rukia got distracted from it after more people came up to her in greeting and Ichigo remained stiff and formal. She was growing irritated but before she could drag him into a corner and demand what his problem was, Grimmjow showed up and claimed her next dance.

"I was warned you had a fiery temper," he said conversationally, his turquoise eyes sparkling with mirth. "Looking at you right now, I could tell it wouldn't have been an exaggeration."

Rukia sighed, some of her annoyance draining away. "Sorry I'm poor company. It's been a long evening already."

"You should probably get some fresh air or something like that after our dance," he said, concern replacing his humor. "Or maybe Ichigo should take you home if you're not feeling well."

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "I'll probably skip the next two dances and freshen up and I'll be back to normal. It's a great party. I don't want to spoil it for anyone."

He studied her for a long moment that she began to worry he was seeing more than she wanted him to.

"I don't really know who you are, Rukia, and how you and Ichigo came to be," he said in a serious tone. "If you'd been a different kind of girl, I'd ask a lot of questions knowing Ichigo and how determined he was not to marry quite yet. But after meeting you tonight, I've decided my friend is quite sane and damn lucky."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Grimmjow, if I'd been a differnt kind of girl, I'd swoon and declare my undying love for you right this moment but I'm not, so I'll say thank you instead."

He laughed and she joined in but as his eyes moved to something behind her, his easy expression darkened and his hold on her tightened.

"Grimmjow?"Rukia asked uncertainly, trying to glance over her shoulder at whatever caught his attention.

"Now would be a good time to freshen up, Rukia," he said as he smoothly but hurriedly moved her out of the ballroom. "Sit out the next couple of dances and put your feet up or something."

He led her to the small hall that led to the restrooms.

"Are we by any chance escaping from a girl whose heart you broke or something, Grimm?" She asked as he practically dragged her to the door of the ladies' room.

He pulled up short and exhaled a sharp breath, managing a strained smile at her. "Something like that. Sorry, Rukia. I just had to get off the dance floor."

Rukia tsked at him teasingly. "I guess being a ladies' man isn't always a fun, convenient thing. Good to know. Maybe fewer guys would try it."

He chuckled, lightening up. "I definitely wouldn't recommend it to every guy. Alright, I'll see you later, okay? Maybe fifteen minutes or so?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go scram into your hiding place," she told him with a roll of her eyes.

He turned and walked away and she continued into the ladies' room. Rukia halted when she heard familiar voices inside.

"You should go home, Karin. I don't know why you'd want to stick around for that skank's engagement party."

"It's also Ichi-nii's engagement party and that skank is his fiancee so I'd choose my words carefully if I were you. What I'm wondering is what you're doing at this party when Nel-chan specifically requested you not to come. Here you are, skulking around in the ladies' room."

Rukia smiled, still pressed up against the door listening.

"I do as I please, Karin, and not even Nelliel can boss me around," Senna snorted. "Besides, I wanted to see how Charity Kuchiki doing. I'm sure she's in cloud nine thinking she's snapped up your brother but I know just how deluded she is if she believes that."

"Don't make trouble, Senna-san," Karin muttered. "You may not care about what Nel-chan say but if you cause Rukia-chan any kind of distress, Ichi-nii will toss you out and my father will be right behind him to shut the door in your face."

"They wouldn't," Rukia said out loud, walking into the room, startling both girls.

Senna was clad in a short, clingy, purple dress, her endless legs showcased in sky-high, dominatrix-inspired black leather heels. Her face was fully painted on and her long, purple hair was put up in a sleek, ponytail. Her eyes narrowed at her.

"I wouldn't want either Ichigo or Isshin-san to get their hands dirty by tossing her out," Rukia said breezily as she came to stand next to Karin in front of the mirror. "Just in case there's a new strain of STD now that can be transmitted through the merest touch. After all, if there is to be one discovered, Senna here would be the first candidate for patient zero."

Karin's eyes rounded in shock and Senna's lips curled down into an ugly pout.

"Charity Kuchiki," Senna sneered, standing up to her full height. "Do you think that just because Ichigo is marrying you, you could act like you're better than me?"

Rukia glanced at Karin and then back at Senna in puzzlement. "No. I've always acted like I'm better than you because I am. There's nothing new about that. You prove it over and over again."

Her eyes flashed furiously. "Why, you little bitch. Don't think I'm afraid of you because you're engaged to Ichigo." She lifted her chin up, smiling smugly. "You're not the only one intimately acquainted with him. He's had a soft spot for me since I joined their ski trip last year. It was cold and we'd come up with ways to get the heat on."

Rukia wrinkled her nose and glanced at Karin who looked disgusted. "While neither of us want to particularly imagine your brother and Senna here getting it on, I say we just agree and forget about it to discourage any more details. I only hope Ichigo got himself tested to the hilt because it will ruin our wedding night if he'd caught anything from her."

"We just kissed, okay?" Senna snarled, her cheeks flushing a deep red. "We made out a few times and it was hot as hell but we decided not to get weird about it because I was friends with Nelliel. But it was so good while it lasted and this is why I know that no matter how sweet and affectionate Ichigo is being with you, it means nothing because he can turn it on and off like that with any woman if he chooses to."

Her temper flared. "If he can have any woman he wants, anytime and however he wants her, why the hell do you think he would bother getting married and saddling himself with one particular woman?"

\- I know the answer to that question but Senna doesn't and she can torture herself with it for the meantime.

Senna's mouth twitched as if she was about to snap back at Rukia but she couldn't muster a word as her question echoed around the room. With a frustrated growl, she stormed out and left Karin and Rukia in the defeaning silence.

"That went well," Rukia finally said, giving the girl a rueful smile. "I admit I don't have a lot of practice dealing with former flames of the man I'm marrying but it could've been worse, don't you think?"

Karin's eyes were unreadable as she studied her for a moment. "If Ichi-nii made out with her, it's only probably because she threw herself at him."

Rukia sighed and turned to the mirror to tuck back a few strands of hair that escaped her braids. "Yes, well. Senna would throw herself at anything with a penis. But whatever Ichigo did before we met is his business. It doesn't bother me."

Karin turned back to the mirror as well. "We both know it does but you don't have to admit it."

It was time for a change of topic.

"You ready to go back out there?"

Karin nodded. "I think so. How about you?"

She shrugged. "I just need to freshen up and then I'll be right out. I'll see you there, okay? Go dance some."

The dancing was in full swing when Rukia arrived back at the ballroom.

She spotted Kisuke dancing with Yoruichi and she grinned, about to make her way to them when Yuzu appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her by the arm.

"Rukia-chan, stay with me," she said, barely concealing the urgency in her voice.

She frowned and stepped to her side. "Okay. What's going on, Yuzu?

The young woman shook her head and led her slowly away from the dance floor. "I thought we should hang out."

"I was just going to say hi to my friends and then find Ichigo for one last dance before we head out," Rukia told her gently, craning neck around to look for her fiance. "I'm beat and I'm ready to call it a night."

Yuzu tugged at her arm almost as if to drag Rukia's attention back to her. "Not yet. I saw Grimm-nii and he said he still wants another dance from you."

Rukia groaned. "My feet are killing me and I only have enough energy left for one dance. I should have it with Ichigo, don't you think?"

Besides, she wanted to patch up with him. He seemed stressed and despite her inital irritation, she realized that this couldn't have been an easy night for him, parading about a fiancee he didn't really want in the first place.

Rukia caught a flash of blue hair and smiled. "Oh, look. There's Grimmjow." She watched him stride along the edge of the dance floor, looking grim and determined. "He doesn't look too happy."

Rukia's brows furrowed in surprise when she saw him approach Ichigo who was tossing back a glass of something. Ichigo turned and glared at his friend and they both seemed to be exchanging pretty serious words.

"What the hell is going on with those two?" She muttered in confusion. Just earlier, they were ribbing at each other good-naturedly.

"Nothing, I'm sure," Yuzu insisted. "Come on Rukia-chan, let's find a seat somewhere in the back."

Rukia shook her head. "I think I need to go over there and break up the two before they start shoving at each other. They look pretty mad."

She started walking when Yuzu yanked back my hand. "Rukia-chan, no! Please, just stay here."

"Yuzu, what the hell is going on?" She demanded, turning to glare at her. Her violet eyes were large and anxious. "Something must be if you're acting like this. What is it?"

"She's just trying to spare you from the painful experience of being introduced to your fiance's real love interest."

Senna appeared out of nowhere, smiling haughtily at her, gesturing to the dance floor with her hand. "Why don't you take a look at the stunning Riruka Dokugamine? She's a former fashion model before she opened her own organic food business. Rumor has it that she and Ichigo have been involved in a torrid affair in the last six months although they've kept it on the down low. She's probably here to make it very clear as to who owns Ichigo's heart."

Rukia followed Ichigo with her eyes as he stalked away from his best friend and walked up to a tall, glamorous, breathtakingly beautiful woman dressed in an elegant red Grecian-inspired column dress that accentuated her impressive height and perfect figure. Her light pink hair was swept into a sexy updo.

Something churned inside her—like she ate something bad and she quickly realized that it must've been her heart which had sunk into her stomach and started getting eaten away at by the acids.

No one had ever mentioned that woman to her before but it was clear from the smile on Ichigo's face and Riruka's intimate hand on his chest that they knew each other very well.

"They already danced earlier," Senna added, relentless in her determination to cut Rukia up into pieces. "Grimm already told Ichigo off in your defense. Maybe if it doesn't work out with Ichigo, Grimmjow can comfort you. He probably won't mind Ichigo's sloppy seconds."

"Senna, you are way out of line here," Rukia heard Nelliel's familiar voice say from behind her."You shouldn't have come, You should've listened to me."

Senna scoffed. "And miss all this drama? Not for the world. Just imagine what everyone here who knows is thinking. Ichigo dances and holds in his arms the real woman he's crazy for during his engagement party to some lowly diner girl who fancies herself Cinderella."

"Don't listen to her, Rukia," Nelliel said, falling into a step beside her. "I'm sure Ichigo has a perfectly good explanation for having her here."

"I'm sure he thought he could get away with it after he brought in Charity Kuchiki's friends to distract her," Senna added with a snort.

Hot tears were stinging Rukia's eyes eyes but she quickly blinked them was nothing Senna said that hadn't already run through her mind in the last thirty seconds but she didn't need the bit-h to further hack her heart apart.

Rukia whirled around to her and said in a low, cold voice. "Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. Here."

Senna's smug smile faltered a bit as she got a good look at her but then she tossed her head up and smirked. "I will now. I've seen all that I wanted to see."

"Forget about Senna," Nelliel said after Senna left. "She's just a raging bitch sometimes."

Rukia laughed hoarsely, hearing the bitterness in her voice. "What great taste you have for friends then."

She forced herself to tear her gaze away from the dance floor where Ichigo had led Riruka to dance once again. Blue eyes caught hers from across the room, concern clear in them even from a distance. She gave Grimmjow a weak smile before turning to the sisters.

"Can you please make sure your Dad doesn't see this?" She asked in as calm a voice as she could manage. "If he knows about them, he's not going to be happy. I don't want to upset him."

Nelliel looked at her for a moment. "He went home with Karin half an hour ago. He didn't want to disrupt your dance and Karin was already bored."

Rukia smiled even though she suspected it looked pretty brittle on her face. "Good. He doesn't have to know. Can you promise me you won't tell him?"

The sisters glanced at each other.

"Rukia-chan, are you sure?" Yuzu asked gently. "Maybe you should talk to Ichi-nii about this first. It's probably just a misunderstanding—"

"It's none of my business really." She just sighed "I'm just going to get Ikkaku to drive me home. We have to drop off some of my friends. Have you seen Isane and Kiyone?"

"Ikkaku-san already drove them home." Yuzu answered.

Rukia groaned and kneaded her temples with her hand. She was so distracted, having a grand time being Ichigo's fake fiancee that she completely took her own friends for granted.

"Rukia, hey."

She turned around and saw Grimmjow walking toward her, his handsome face etched with concern. He stopped and glanced at her and the sisters and realized that they all knew.

"I'm going home," She told him.

"I can drive you home, Rukia," Grimmjow said, drawing surprised looks from the sisters. "I've only had one glass of wine to drink. I don't speed."

The anxious, serious look on his face was a hilarious contrast to her current situation that she laughed. "Just what a girl needs to hear to take you up on your offer."

He smiled sheepishly. "Well, I wanted to reassure you as much as possible considering you only met me tonight."

Rukia turned to the sisters. "Can you guys vouch for him not being a total psycho?"

Yuzu smiled. "Is Grimm-nii a heartbreaker? Yes. Psycho, no."

Nelliel though didn't look like she approved. "Ichigo isn't going to be happy to hear that Grimmjow took you home."

Rukia snorted. "Ichigo can go f-ck himself. Pardon my language."

She turned to Grimmjow and grinned at him as she looped her arm through his. "Can we stop by for some cheeseburgers and fries on the way? I'm starving?"

And they did.

* * *

me: Ichigo's side of the story will be in the next chapter, be sure to read it. What do you guys thinks about this chapter? About Nel's past and Ichigo's assumed betrayal? Hate it/love it? Be sure to leave a review, we love reading your thoughts, guesses, complaints etc.

-.-

emmi rukichi: Hi! Love your enthusiasm! Welcome to this fic! And thanks for reading, and reviewing as well. :)

Guest: Thank you. You'll know about that when you read Ichigo's side of the story. And same.. Isshin is a good man here, but he always is right. *winks

RukiYuki: Ohh, your wish is granted. What do you think about this chap? And GrimmIchiRuki interactions. :)

Jo Terry: Ooh, so you're a grimmnel fan too. Glad to read that! And yeah, I cannot stand Senna, I hate her to the point of wanna strangle her whilst watching that movie. Don't worry as well, just like I said last chapter, Nelliel is one of the main character here. She'll come around soon. What do you think about her past?

Sara1991: Thank you. Ninya blushed while reading your review so was I. Thanks for reading!

Guest: Ichigo seems to have some sort of feelings towards her eh, or not. Hehehe Thanks for reading.

Guest: Thank you for being honest about what you feel. *thumbs up* That kiss last chapter was Ichigo's way to convince his family without too much talk. But you do have a point, they'll know each other more soon. Thank you!

Cc: Oh, no worries. You'll read it next chapter. Ichigo is really hard to read no? Thanks for reading!

Guest: So happy you love GrimmNel! You'll get a lot from them soon.

anonymous 2234: Thank you for sticking around and for leaving a review as well. I think so too, they are going deeper than planned. :)

Inverse L Reena: Hi! Welcome back. I thought I lost from boreness or something. *scratch head sheepishly* I think they will, they are sisters in laws after all. Fake or Real. Thanks for reviewing!

Star fire girl 788: Hi! Glad to hear/read from you! Wow, I'm overwhelmed knowing our fic could excite you like that. Thanks so much!

Ichiruki4vr: Its okay. I don't mind, since it means u like reading this fix so much. That's makes us very happy.

Bleach power: Wow you guessed right but I won't tell you who it is. Hehehe. I'm happy you like GrimmNel as well. And no worries, I think it will be a long one. Thanks!

I just want to answer those reviews I haven't replied. It'll be quick.

1\. No, Inoue will not be paired to anyone.

2\. No I am not a guy. Hmm, wonder you asked that? :)

3\. And yes, definitely there will be a lemon. But since this fic is rated T the lemon won't be very detailed. No worries, we won't miss to write the important part. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the favs: yeslxl/rockycombs/drizzlingrain And to those of you following this fic too :D

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my Ninya.

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Chapter Seven: Love or just a mere attraction

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On Sunday morning, day of the engagement party, Ichigo called Riruka Dokugamine. Well, he called Rukia first to greet her good morning and reassure her that she's going to be just fine at the party. Talking to her reminded him of the other woman he'd hurt in all of this so after he hung up with her, Ichigo dialled a number he hadn't called in a while.

He'd sent Riruka an invitation to the party because despite their past intimacy, she's still an old friend of his. She sounded excited when she picked up and he had to suppress a sigh because the first words out of her mouth were that she missed him.

As gently as he could, Ichigo told her that maybe it wasn't a good idea for her to come to the party after all. He could tell the instant her demeanour changed. She stonily told him that she wanted to meet Rukia. She wanted to meet the woman she's forced to play second fiddle to. That was an even worse idea and he told her that. She didn't say anything for a long time that he thought she hung up on him. Then she asked the question he'd been dreading:

"Where does this leave us now?"

"Nowhere, really, because there's no us anymore." Ichigo answered her.

He's getting married, even if it's just for a year, and despite all the stupid things he said to Rukia about being with other women, he's not going to cheat on her. To be honest, even if he wanted to, Ichigo doesn't know where he'll ever find the time because Rukia would be pretty hard to ignore. She isn't the type to be put on a corner to be forgotten. She's like a mini bulldozer.

In the end, all he ended up telling Riruka was that he was sorry for hurting her and that she deserved better. She asked him if she should wait until he was no longer married after a year. Ichigo haven't looked that far into the future and at this point, he didn't want to just yet. He told her they'll have to wait and see what the future brings but that she shouldn't put her life on hold for his sake.

Ichigo spent the rest of the day working from home because he was taking some time off for the wedding and the honeymoon (which he still haven't finalized). In between emails and reports, he called Rukia to check on her progress and ensure that she hasn't bolted yet. She was spending the day with Inoue and her style team, prepping for the event, so she was in good hands but he was still a little paranoid. The party was going to be their first official appearance together in public and that spotlight could be daunting to someone who wasn't used to it. He made arrangements with Inoue to make sure that there would be as many familiar faces as possible in the party for Rukia so she wouldn't feel so alone in a sea of strangers.

When Ichigo showed up at Rukia's house and saw her standing in the middle of the living room, clad in what looked like a stream of starlight, he felt like someone knocked the wind out of him. The fact that she had a slightly guilty look on her face with her bottom lip thrust out, her purple eyes sparkling with humor because she wasn't really all sorry for fantasizing about cheeseburgers, made him want to run up and grab her, the engagement party be damned.

There were a handful of reporters waiting behind a corded area when they came and his instinct was to step in and shield Rukia from their prying eyes but she took him by surprise when she marched up to them fearlessly. She made his head spin a little as he stood there and listened to her chat them up like they were all good friends and they ate it up happily. Rukia was a natural with people. Well, it wasn't all that hard to adore her and for some reason, that made him smile.

She squared her shoulders and held her head high as they walked into the banquet hall. The only time he felt her falter was when she looked up at him, her deep purple eyes wide and stark with uncertainty, and reminded him about getting cheeseburgers and fries after the party.

Ichigo nearly stopped them right then and there to turn her around and take her away from all of it. He wanted to take her somewhere with bags of take out and spend the rest of the evening eating and talking, just the two of them, where she wouldn't feel scared because to see Rukia Kuchiki scared was just a shame.

But before he could seriously consider the benefits of his idea, his father caught them. Then Grimmjow showed up, the wattage of his charm turned all the way up the moment he saw Rukia. It didn't surprise him. Jaegerjaques could never help himself around any woman. The fact that Rukia looked nearly incandescent in her shimmery dress and teased him effortlessly like they were old friends didn't make it any easier for him. In fact, he looked downright smitten and that irritated Ichigo.

He and Grimmjow hardly competed for women over the years because there were always plenty of them but he didn't like the way Grimmjow was genuinely enjoying Rukia's company. That was a bad sign. He was susceptible enough to women with beauty and grace. A woman with beauty, grace, intelligence and a wild, mischievous streak that was hard to resist would make him trip all over himself, which was too bad because Rukia is Ichigo's woman and he told Grimmjow that loud and clear.

He might be smoother with the ladies that he was but he contented himself with the fact that the brilliant smile on her face when she saw her friends arrive was all because of him. He felt very much rewarded when she happily threw her arms around him. Ichigo was enjoying himself until his father surprised him when he came up on stage. He described what would happen in a few years, but the way it felt whenever he was around Rukia and he knows.

Ichigo was immensely attracted to her. It was futile to deny that. And yes, he cared about her. Only a bloody statue wouldn't feel something for Rukia.

But it wasn't love. It was a lot of things but not love.

Because love was the kind of devotion his father showed to his mother—and the kind of devastation he felt when he lost her.

So this couldn't be love.

Ichigo refuse it to be love anyway. Besides, you can't possibly fall in love with someone you've only known for a week.

But his father's words kept playing in his head for the rest of the night, keeping him distracted that he didn't even notice Riruka arriving until he overheard two women busily chattering together in a corner. They were saying something about how much torture Riruka really wanted, coming to her ex's party to celebrate his engagement to a diner girl who was obviously better than her since Rukia managed to drag him down to the altar.

So Ichigo went to find Riruka. He had to get her away for two main reasons: He didn't want her running into Rukia and he didn't want more people to be trashing her behind her back for something that was largely his fault. He managed to pull her into a corner and ask why she came when he told her it wasn't a good idea. She told him that by showing up, it indicated that she wasn't as affected as people thought her to be. She said she wasn't going to stay at home and wallow in a corner.

Riruka didn't have Rukia's bravado but for all her reserved nature and poise, she was a strong woman. She asked him to dance with her and he said no. Then she flashed him a smile and asked why not when they were supposed to be just good, old friends—unless he was so in love with his fiancee he couldn't even acknowledge the rest of the female population around him.

Since she was right, they were still good friends and she wasn't head over heels in love with Rukia. He accepted and danced one song with her. He did it to prove a point, which he botched up when Riruka snapped irritably at him to stop craning his head around so much and pay attention to his dance partner.

Obviously, Ichigo wasn't paying her any attention. He was looking for Rukia, making sure no one was treating her poorly, and that Grimmjow hadn't absconded with her since he'd been making such moony eyes at her all night. He'd apologized to Riruka, for being rude yet again, and walked her over to some friends before fetching himself a drink.

He stood around to look for his fiancee so they could leave, grab some fast food and hang out at her living room. But there were too many people and she couldn't easily spot her. But he spotted Grimmjow coming at him, looking foul-tempered, which was rare because Grimmjow wasn't the type to take things seriously.

Grimmjow straight out called him a jackass for bringing Riruka when this was his and Rukia's big night and that he should be by her side and not his ex's. He bristled at how protective Grimmjow sounded of his fiancee and told him there was no need to play the knight in shining armor because Riruka was harmless. Ichigo didn't add that she really was because even as he was dancing with her, when she looked splendid and glamorous, his mind was preoccupied with Rukia. He was in no danger of falling into bed with Riruka when he could hardly remember that she was there in front of him.

Ichigo walked away from Grimmjow before they could come into blows and sought out Riruka. It was time she went home because between trying to take care not to hurt her feelings any further and trying to look after Rukia as she navigated her way around guests she'd never met before, he was getting a miserable headache.

Riruka looked to be in better spirits when he found her and he felt better.

But before he could say anything, she told him she was going to get out of there as soon as he danced one last song with her. Ichigo was itching to find Rukia but what could one dance with Riruka really hurt? If it was to be their final goodbye and she'd be happier and better after it, wasn't it a small price he could pay?

So Ichigo danced with her and walked her out where her driver had been waiting.

Twenty minutes after he returned to the party, despite having been waylaid by a dozen other people who couldn't get out of his way fast enough, he still couldn't find Rukia or get her to answer her phone and dread started heaping in his gut with every second that passed. Ichigo spotted his sisters sitting by a table all by themselves, their heels kicked off, their faces bored.

He hadn't even opened his mouth to ask about Rukia when Yuzu told him that Rukia left. Nelliel waited for a moment to let that sink in on him before adding that Grimmjow drove Rukia home. Something must've shown on his face because Yuzu spent the next ten minutes berating him for being as dense and stupid as a brick that he deserved in the face for his behavior that night.

Yes, a lecture from his little sister. When did she grow up to nagged him like this?

He called Rukia on his way out to find her and it wasn't hard to guess just how unhappy she was with him when she answered. It rankled further that Grimmjow was right there with her listening to the whole thing.

"Where the hell are you Rukia?!" Ichigo demanded. "Nelliel said you took off with Grimmjow."

"Leave me alone Kurosaki." Was Rukia's gruff reply.

"Rukia!" He's patience was wearing put.

"Calm down Ichigo. Grimmjow and I just made a quick stop for some cheeseburgers and fries." She casually told him.

"You got cheeseburgers and fries." Was Ichigo's low even response.

"I told you I would."

"You said you would do it with me!" He bellowed on the phone.

She was supposed to get the f-cking cheeseburgers and fries with him!

He could hear the anger in her voice. "We'll you're a little busy so I went with somebody else. Now I want to get back eating it so goodnight Ichigo Kurosaki."

With that Rukia turned off her phone.

Ichigo swore right after she hung up on him that he was going to shove the cheeseburgers and fries Grimmjow got with her right into his face because he had no right to take Ichigo's place. Rukia stuck it out through the whole party so she could get cheeseburgers and fries with him as he'd promised her right after. Grimmjow just went and conveniently took her to get some when it meant absolutely nothing to him.

Ichigo drove out to Rukia's house, making a quick stop at McDonald's and frightening the girl at the drive thru when he'd practically growled his order at her. He was there at her house before they were which only added fuel to the fire and he was already seething. Rukia was strong and bold enough to fend off advances but Grimmjow had a long, rich history of women not wanting to fend off advances from him. Ichigo hated standing there out on the street, pondering whether Rukia was going to be an exception or not.

When Grimmjow's car finally came into view, Ichigo summoned all his self-control not to plant himself in front of them and smash Grimmjow's headlights. He wasn't a particularly violent man, especially toward his best friend, but Grimmjow was making an already bad situation with Rukia so much worse. Grimmjow knew right away that Ichigo wasn't particularly fond of him at that moment but it didn't stop him from trying to walk her up to her door.

"It's about time you got her back Jaegerjaques." Was Ichigo's menacing growl as he straightened away from his car and marched over to them.

"Don't be an ass Ichigo. You don't want to have this fight right now."

He shoved Grimmjow's shoulder that was touching Rukia's. " I say I do."

"Cut it out Ichigo! " Rukia snapped, glowering at him. She turned to Grimmjow and smiled. "Thanks for driving me home Grimm, but you should probably go."

Grimmjow glanced between him and Rukia. " I can wait until you get inside."

She sighed. "I can't trust you two won't pummel each other on the ground. I'll be alright Grimm. Ichigo wont hurt me. He needs me."

A confused frown marred Grimmjow's forehead but he wisely kept his mouth shut. He turned an annoyed glare at Ichigo before walking to his car.

When Grimmjow was gone, Rukia turned to walked up the steps, taking her keys out of her clutch. Ichigo went to his car , slam the door shut before rushing up behind Rukia.

"Hey, I brought you cheeseburgers and fries." He said gently, half hoping she'll accept it.

Rukia turned to him and saw him holding up a brown take-out bag, his face anxious almost hopeful.

"Go to hell Kurosaki." Rukia said before pushing the door open, stepping inside and slamming it close on his face.

\- I'm not in pain. It didn't feel like love. It felt like madness and there's nothing I can do about it.

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me: Holy mackerel! A hundred reviews, no. A hundred and more! Wow that's .. *speechless for a moment*

You guys are awesome! We're so lucky to have you as readers! We don't even know if this fic Worth's it but what matters most for us really, is for you guys to enjoy reading it just as much as we enjoy writing it. :D

Soooo... What do you think about this chap? We love reading your suggestions/praises/critics/guesses/reactions and more!

.

.

A hundred thanks for giving us a hundred reviews readers:

RukiYuki: You're welcome. Uryu Ishida won't be having an appearance in this fic. But, maybe if we'll need a doctor we could reconsider. Its okay, you can ask any questions you want I love answering them. :D

JoTerry: I am so happy that you are. Grimmjow would be happy to know that you believe in him, much that he could change. What he sees about Nelliel is nothing more than a sister. Did you notice, in the last chapter he always call her Nel/ her childhood nickname rather than Nelliel. But what will happen if he start seeing her as a lady? Hehehe, now, I do agree with you, Rukia shouldn't be sidelined at the Bleach's ending. No worries Jo, we won't do anything same like Kubo sensei did. :)

Sara1991: Yeah, he was. But I hope this chap cleared his name. Hehehe. :)

MrSelfdeprecation: You'll know about that in the next chapter! Stay tuned! Oh, and welcome to this story, we really appreciate you reviewing. :)

BleachPower: Really? Hehehe, we imagined Rukia wearing that dress, yes and it was amazing. I'm glad you liked the interactions between the characters. I could imagine well, little Nel asking grimmy to marry her, it was very cute. And yes, a guest reviewer asked me if I was a guy. :D

emmirukichi: Thank You!. And Your wish is granted. :D

Amethysthazel: Sorry for breaking your heart amethyst-san, I hope this chapter cured your heart. *winks

Ichiruki4vr: Whoa, calm down. Hehehe, Nel and Yuzu defended Ichigo last chap, bcoz they know their brother. They also know that there are sane explanations for what happened. And both of them were right. :D

Guest: I hope this chapter answered your questions. Thanks. :)

Guest: Thanks. What do u think about what he feels now? :)

Cc: I thought that no one would like the cheeseburger and fries thing/ :) I'm happy you enjoyed that. You'll know about that in the next chap!

Nievedrop: The only reason I could think why Nel did that because she was jealous when Grimm's name was mentioned, or not. Hehehe, Remember at the phone call when Grimm, asked her if she'll go to the party, her answer meant that even if she didn't like Ichi's decisions but since they're family/ not to mention she thought he's in love with Ruki/ Nel will support his brother but that doesn't mean that she like Rukia already, right? :)

Guest: Oh, he did! I hope you enjoyed this one. :D

sleeplygirl: Ninya and I loved it when Ichigo is Jealous, we will consider your suggestion. Hehehe, oh, I hate Senna more trust me. :)

anonymous2234: Thank you! What do you think about Ichigo thoughts? :)

Achalida: You were almost right, except the part that Riruka was Ichigo's ex but that doesn't mean he loves her right? We have a good explanation for that. :D

StarFireGirl: Thanks so much! We're so happy you liked it! :)

BloodyMe: Hehehe I guess we scared you there. No need to worry really, because the only bitch here that you won't be able to stand, is Senna only. And no, we won't let her destroy our main characters relationship. *Thumbs up for being honest about what you feel. :D

mbravesgirl: So happy that you are, and I am very happy to know that you are reading this fic. :)

gooeystar83: Thank You, and welcome to our fic! We appreciate you reading and reviewing as well. I love HitsuKarin too but I'm not sure if we would include their pairing here. We'll think about it. :)

Guest: We're so glad you like the interactions between characters. I personally enjoyed reading ur suggestions. We will keep that in mind. :D

Guest: Ichigo was, to the point of kissing Rukia for it. I hope you enjoyed reading Ichigo's POV. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach.

Thanks for the Favs: Fafacute/ And those of you following this fic too.

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Chapter Eight: Curse of a Conscience

* * *

Rukia has a quick temper but she has a hard time holding grudges. She'd spent the night crying until her pillow resembled a mural with the smeared mascara and the lipstick soaked through its case. She eventually fell asleep from exhaustion and when she woke up this morning, she had a completely different perspective.

Try as she might, she just couldn't stay angry, especially since Rukia realized that her anger was mostly unsubstantiated. Ichigo was crystal clear when he told her that he expected to be able to pursue his own personal affairs even when they were married. It was written in plain text in black ink on the contract she signed. She couldn't really dispute that.

Also, Rukia never once considered that Ichigo's heart may have already belonged to someone else and that when Isshin decreed this marriage between them, he had to give that up and hurt the woman he loved. What if Rukia was the third party? The force that will tear their love apart? The reason for his pain and heartbreak? The reason for her misery?

Meeting Ichigo the first time, she couldn't imagine him being so passionately in love with a woman. Having spent time with him in the past week and a half, she had a harder time imagining him not being loving, sweet and generous to the woman who captured his heart. Even if that woman is Riruka Dokugamine beautiful, sophisticated, rich and perfect in every way to become Mrs. Kurosaki. The kind of wife Ichigo would be proud of.

So Rukia decided that despite the emotional beating her heart took the night before, she wasn't going to hold it against him. He would marry her and continue on with Riruka until he could officially be with her once they divorced. He'd been good to her mostly and this was the least she could do for him.

Having given Inoue and Ikkaku the day off, she went to most of her appointments for the day all by herself, canceling those that weren't important. Amazingly, no one checked up on her. For a moment, it felt like she had her old life back.

After lunch at Urahara's, Rukia walked around the park where she met up with the reporters for a chat. If anyone noticed her slightly despondent mood, no one mentioned it. Since the media hadn't been allowed inside the party and most of them had left by the time Ichigo and she went their separate ways, none of them really knew what had happened.

One reporter asked if she had met Riruka and although her insides had turned into ice at that question, she managed a merry smile and said that she didn't get a chance to be introduced to her even though she'd been at the party.

It wasn't until late afternoon that Rukia took a cab to Isshin's house to visit him.

"Well, this is interesting," Isshin said after he studied her for a long moment while nibbled on a scone. He wore an expression he would usually only have when deliberating a very serious business decision. She wasn't sure why he would look like that considering they've only sat down for ten minutes since she arrived. A ghost of a smile suddenly hovered on his lips as he rubbed his chin. "I'm struck with a sense of deja vu. I found myself having a very similar conversation with my son last night except it was half past midnight and over brandy. He said as much as you have since you got here which isn't very much at all."

She frowned, straightening up. "I'm not sure what you're getting at, Dad."

"Did something happen last night, Rukia-chan?" he asked, gazing directly at her. "Ichigo looked like he swallowed a handful of nails and you look like you're having the worst toothache."

\- Well. There's nonchalance out the window. Isshin is apparently omniscient.

"It's nothing serious," Rukia reluctantly conceded, being as vague about it as possible. "Just a little tiff. It'll blow over in a few days."

He raised a brow at her, unconvinced. "The two of you are getting married in a few days."

"Yes, well, no one said the journey to the altar would be smooth one," she said sulkily before she sighed. "Alright. What did he say?"

"Ah, Rukia-chan," he said with a smile. "For your marriage to work, you're going to have to talk and work it out together. You don't want your in-laws to meddle."

She raised her brow back at him. "Oh, really? I say the only in-law left around in this marriage is already meddling."

\- Like demanding his son to marry a diner waitress when he was already in love with the perfect woman.

He chuckled. "I'm only here to make sure you're both happy with the choice you're making."

\- What choice? The reason we're doing this is because we have no choice!

"Tell me something, Dad," she started, picking at the scone on her plate. "If it had been someone else, a different girl, would you be as supportive of Ichigo marrying? Would you welcome her as much as you welcomed me? Treat her like she's your own daughter like you treat me?"

His eyes narrowed for a second in thought and she worried that she'd given herself away with that question. But she couldn't take it back now and she didn't want to.

"I wouldn't be a hypocrite and say yes when I know I wouldn't," he answered slowly. "If she was a good person and genuinely cared for my son, I'll be more open-minded. When you're a rich, successful man though, affection can be easily bought and I don't want that for Ichigo.''

Rukia felt sick and she quickly looked down into her cup, unable to meet Isshin's eyes.

\- You certainly won't want me for him then. My affection was bought at a million price tag.

"Rukia-chan..."

Rukia forced herself to look up when Isshin's voice trailed off. He was looking at her with a pensive expression, his eyes kind. "It doesn't require a perfect woman to make my son happy. He just requires the woman perfect for him."

Her face crumpled but she fought the tears like crazy. "How do you know I'm perfect for him?"

He smiled. "I don't. I'm just hoping you are."

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I'm not... as great as you th-think I am," she said between soft gasps, taking the handkerchief Isshin handed her which only made her feel worse so she cried even harder. "I don't... I don't even know... where t-to start. Being the k-kind of w-wife you want me to be, for h-him."

"You don't have to be any kind of wife, Rukia-chan," Isshin said, leaning forward and rubbing her shoulder soothingly. "You just have to be yourself."

"As if that's enough!" Rukia exclaimed with a moronic laugh choked with tears. "I'm dirt-poor. I haven't stepped into college. I'm barely a decent artist. The only thing I know about business I learned from Urahara and that's not recommending me a lot. And I often say the wrong thing. How could I possibly be right for this? How?!"

"Dad, what's going on here?"

Rukia whipped around, her tears surging back to her throat when she saw Ichigo standing behind them, a dark scowl on his face. She quickly turned away and bit back a groan as she wiped her face down with the handkerchief.

"dammit,"She muttered, glancing away when Ichigo came to stand beside her chair. "What are you doing here anyway? Did you know I was here?"

"Just because Ikkaku is off-duty doesn't mean I'll let you run around the city unprotected," he answered impatiently. "Now, tell me why you're crying?"

She refused to say anything else.

"Why is she crying, Dad?" Ichigo asked, his tone sharp with irritation.

Isshin sighed. "You're going to have to find out yourself, son."

"Rukia," Ichigo began with a near growl as he sat on the chair next to her and touched her elbow to try to move the hand covering her face away. " Why are you crying?

"I am not crying!" Rukia snapped, moving her arm away from his touch. She finally returned her gaze to him and regretted it because even though he had shadows under his eyes and his jaw was rough with a day-old stubble, he looked strikingly handsome.

"You are crying," he replied gently, gesturing to the damp handkerchief she was clutching in her hand.

"Fine! I'm crying," She retorted waspishly.

"Why?" he pressed.

"I'm crying because... I'm crying because I have my period!"

\- Great, Rukia. That's just great. Now he'll think you're a bigger moron.

Ichigo's brows shot up and Isshin just chuckled before giving her an apologetic look. Rukia tossed the handkerchief down on the table and rose to her feet. "Thanks for the tea, Dad, but I've got to get going."

"Alright. See you around, Rukia-chan."

"Rukia, wait - "

"Ichigo, son. Wait a sec."

Rukia strode out of the gazebo so fast. She turned and Ichigo talking to his father and watched the She should really run now but she stayed rooted in her spot, waiting as he slowly walked toward her.

"Rukia." His voice was decidedly gentler and lower now.

She raised a brow. "What? You're not screaming at me anymore? 'Coz I haven't completely lost my hearing yet, if that was your goal."

His jaw clenched. "I had to promise my father I wouldn't or he wouldn't have left us alone. Are you this talented at winning all the boys over? First my Dad, then Grimmjow."

The resentment in his voice wasn't lost on her especially with the added emphasis on his best friend's name.

"You begrudge me the kind treatment that men like your father or your best friend give me?" Rukia demanded. "Where do you come off staining something completely innocent and making me out as some kind of attention slut or worse, when you're probably fresh out Riruka's satin-covered bed?"

\- That shouldn't have come out.

His hazel eyes glinted for a second as he stiffened, his nostrils flaring. "So this is about her."

Rukia scoffed and threw her hands in the air. "No, not at all, actually. It's about me and my completely idiotic tendency to hope that you were gentleman enough not to insult me like you did last night. I get it that people will make me a pariah for thinking myself capable of becoming Mrs. Kurosaki but I just didn't think it would come from you. At least not after... not after you've been nice to me in the past week and a half." His expression became darker and he opened his mouth to say something but she held her hand up, too carried away now to stop. "It's not really your fault, I just have this annoying habit to warm up to people after they've been good to me. I shouldn't have done that with you considering the cold, callous nature of our arrangement. Besides, you probably really hate me for getting you into this mess even though I had no idea what your Dad had done at first. You could've been happy with Riruka, living your perfect lives, yet here you are stuck trying to reform me so I could be acceptable enough as your wife. I totally understand now why you were so furious about it the first time you told me Isshin's crazy idea. It wasn't just his ultimatum. It was giving what you could've had with the woman you love to a random girl your father picked out. Totally get it."

"While I'm impressed at the amount of imagination you've put into spinning this movie-worthy, doomed love affair I have with Riruka, I'll ask you to stay out of it," he bit out, his tone hard and cold. "Regardless of our intimate relationship, she's a good friend of mine and it was only polite that I invited her to last night's party. I just didn't think she'd show up considering how badly she took the news of our engagement. I thought I would do my best to repair our friendship at the very least last night by not completely abandoning her to the gossiping crowd who were mocking her for having been dumped for a diner girl."

She forced a smile on her face, her lips quivering with the effort. "Well, I hope she's feeling better. I can totally sympathize, you know, having been mocked myself last night for having my fiance flaunt his lover right in my face during our engagement party. "

That's when his face lost color. A strange look flickered in his eyes before he groaned and closed them briefly. He finally understood.

He took a step forward, reaching for her. "Rukia. I didn't mean it like that..."

She snorted, moving away from him. "Of course, you didn't. You were too busy patching up with your lover to notice anyone else's pain. That's alright, Ichigo. Despite my waterworks earlier, I'm actually pretty tough about it. I've had years of practice of being taken for granted, having the band-aid ripped away over and over again from the same damned bleeding wound each time."

Ichigo's expression now looked thunderous. "I am not your goddamned father!"

"Of course, not!" Rukia retorted in disgust. "See, I had no better expectations of my father. I knew what he was and accepted it. You, on the other hand, are a complete contradiction sometimes that I forget exactly what it is that you want from me. But don't worry, I learn hard lessons fairly quickly and trust me, you wouldn't have to deal with my hurt feelings like this ever again because I'll turn them off for you! I'll be your perfect robot of a wife and see to my duties until I'm relieved of them in a year."

She haven't gone far when a hand gripped her arm and yanked her around, slamming her against Ichigo's solid wall of a chest. Startled, she blinked and opened her mouth to protest but the afternoon sunshine was suddenly eclipsed from her view when Ichigo's head came down, his lips catching hers in an almost bruising kiss.

Her toes literally curled as they lifted off the ground when Ichigo hoisted her up against him, not once freeing her from the kiss he was using so determinedly to assault her every conscious thought. Heat was shooting through Rukia's limbs that came to life on their own, clutching her body to Ichigo as she gave herself up to his kiss. Then to her utter despair, he roughly tore his mouth away from hers, only an inch or two that she could totally go for it again, but he started to say something through ragged breaths.

"I'm not sleeping with Riruka," he said.

"What?" Her voice came out a pathetic, breathless whisper.

"I'm not sleeping with Riruka," he repeated, settling her back down on her feet but not releasing her from his hold. "I haven't. Not since... Not since brunch, with my family.'

Clearly, he had been sleeping with her before that brunch. His statement made that distinction. "Why not?" She asked dumbly.

He gave me an are-you-serious look. "Because it didn't feel right then when I just declared to the world that I was marrying you. I'm not that callous, you know, despite appearances."

Her eyes narrowed. "But you had every intention to carry on with her after we were married."

Ichigo's jaw tightened. "I haven't really thought that far ahead to be perfectly honest. I didn't want to take away that option when we made the contract but I didn't make a conscious attempt to fulfill that task right away."

That confession didn't really make her feel that much better.

"Why? Were you too busy sampling your future wife?" Rukia retorted nastily. "After all, you're paying me a million. You might as well get your money's worth."

His arms instantly tightened around her and she felt the unmistakable press of his interest against her stomach. There was heat in his eyes as he watched her swallow hard at the realization that he was indeed attracted to her in that way.

"While I would love to pick up that gauntlet you threw down and have my way with you over and over again, Rukia, I'm not going to do it with you holding that money over our heads and making yourself feel like a whore," he said, releasing her abruptly and turning away.

She bit her lip and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Why not? I'm already one. Your father said he wanted for you a woman who would genuinely care for you. whose affection couldn't be bought. He's clearly wrong about me in that regard."

He glanced at her. "I suspect my father knows exactly what he's doing, Rukia. His reasons aren't for you to worry about. You're giving up a year of your life to fulfill this ridiculous ultimatum he gave me and compensating you for it is the least I can do."

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, Ichigo," Rukia said with a humorless laugh. "If he wanted me to help you or something, he could've just asked. I would've done it for him. There was no need for such a covert operation."

He raised a brow wryly. "Right. Like if he asked you to take up with me and marry me, you would. We both know you hated my guts since the moment you met me."

"If you'd been nice and asked me to dinner, I might have said yes," She grumbled sullenly, rolling her eyes. "You could've asked me to get cheeseburgers and fries and I wouldn't have put up an argument."

At the mention of cheeseburgers and fries, Ichigo's face twisted into a scowl and she mentally slapped herself.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked testily. "Because I distinctly remember you slamming the door on my face last night when I brought you cheeseburgers and fries."

Her lips tightened into a thin line. "Yes, well, I'd already eaten. There was nothing special about ordering drive-thru food. I needed it and Grimmjow was there to accompany me. End of story."

His face flushed with anger. "Don't lie, Rukia. You know it meant something so don't claim otherwise. It was our thing and you went and did it with Grimmjow."

Her mouth dropped open in incredulity. "Our thing? Marriage is our thing but you're given special privilege to go off and do your marital duties with someone else. All I did was get fast food with a guy. Get off your high horse."

Her momentum faltered when Ichigo didn't say anything for what felt like eternity. He just kept looking at her, deep in thought, his eyes inscrutable. Rukia started to fidget.

"Is that what you want?" he finally said. "Do you want us to exercise our marital duties? To make our marriage real and exclusive for the duration of it? 'Coz I can do that. I want to do that."

There must've been a mini-earthquake that happened in that space of a few seconds when Ichigo's words sank in because she nearly lost balance and toppled over.

She blinked, backing away a step when he started walking toward her. "Wait, what? You said you're not interested in that."

A corner of his mouth curled up. "You know that's not true, regardless of what I said in the beginning. Besides, can't a guy change his mind? I want you to be a real wife to me in the year we're married."

Her mouth was still hanging open. She couldn't form words.

"Besides, it will solve this problem we have," he said softly, coming up to touch her cheek with the back of his hand. Shel couldn't turn away to save her life. "You won't ever be put in a position where my fidelity to you is questioned and I get to hold you and make love to you every night that I'll never have to look anywhere else."

Her temper flared back in full force and she took another step back from him. Something in her expression must've stopped him because he went no further.

"Right. Because why go through all the trouble of availing yourself of other women when your wife is conveniently available for you to use? You're quite a practical man, Ichigo Kurosaki. And quite romantic. You just know how to make a girl feel special."

"Rukia, calm down," he said with an exasperated sigh which only angered her more.

"I'm perfectly calm, Ichigo," she hissed just as her hands balled into fists. "In fact, I'm so perfectly calm and logical that I can say this. I will be your bride in name only and that's it. You will no longer touch me or kiss me or be affectionate to me unless it's absolutely necessary for show. That way, I don't get all these mixed signals and you don't get too interested in getting into my pants. The more distance we put between each other, the clearer the lines remain."

She could see a muscle ticking on Ichigo temple which indicated his frustration. It wasn't until she saw the flash of steel in his eyes that she realized he was also very, very angry.

"As you wish."

Saying nothing else after that, he walked past her and disappeared around the house.

It didn't take long for her to realize that getting what she wished for wasn't the same thing as becoming happy, not when your happiness was the one person you wished would stay far away from you.

.

.

"Grimm, I love you forever and ever."

He smiled and rolled his eyes at her just as she stole a couple more gummy bears from the small pack he'd snuck into the wedding rehearsal two days later.

Rukia still wasn't happy with Ichigo since their fight at his father's house but she was determined to fulfill her role as the perfect wife diligently doing her duties, including bearing the rehearsal with him with civility and a smile on her face. She was sure that the people close to them like Isshin and Grimmjow wouldn't miss the strain between them but Isshin was very subdued while Grimmjow did his best to keep her company and lighten up her mood. Hence, the gummy bears.

"Do you love me enough to ditch this fancy wedding and run away with me?" Grimmjow asked with a mock-serious expression on his face.

She choked on the candy and he gently clapped her back.

"Don't blurt that out to random girls, Grimm," She said with a laugh. "Someone might actually take you up on it."

He grinned. "I only ask it from girls I actually want answers from."

"Did you get a yes each time?" She asked, playing along and popping another gummy bear into her mouth.

He shrugged. "I don't know. You're the only one and you haven't given me an answer yet."

Warmth crept on her cheeks and she was about to respond when someone cleared their throat loudly behind them. Ichigo was standing there without expression, barely acknowledging his friend. Rukia tensed up.

They had been given a fifteen-minute break and Grimmjow plied her with gummy bears. Not too long ago, she saw Ichigo taking a phone call and pacing away at the front steps of the chapel.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked gamely, giving him a slight smile.

"I have a small crisis to avert at work and I need to get going now," he said, his expression remorseful. "Can we come back another time so you can take your photos?"

She bit her lip, torn. "Sure. We can go now if you'd like."

"I can drive her back home," Grimmjow said. "She can stay behind and take pictures and I'll stay with her and make sure she gets back okay."

Ichigo swivelled his gaze to his best friend. "Do I trust you?"

Grimmjow gave him a cocky smile. "With everything else but her. But you know I'd never harm her."

"But you're going to try to steal her from me," Ichigo said with a scowl.

"You can bet your life on it," Grimmjow confirmed, showing no sign of wavering under Ichigo's near-murderous glare. "I normally wouldn't compete except that I have a strong suspicion I can make her happier and she has to know that before she walks down the aisle with you."

Rukia rolled her eyes in disbelief at the sheer lunacy of their conversation. She held up her hands and wedged herself between them. "Alright, alpha males. Let's stop talking about me like I'm not here or like I'm some toy you guys are fighting about."

Ichigo's nostrils flared, his gaze never leaving Grimmjow who was shooting him the same look of challenge. "I'll stay."

"Ichigo, no." She protested, turning to face him. "If you're needed at work, go. I'll stay and Grimmjow can drive me home. You have my promise that my virtue will remain intact."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, babe," Grimmjow said casually and she suspected it was more so intended to rile up Ichigo rather than actually warn her.

Nevertheless, she turned to the man and smacked him in the chest, which was as hard as a tree trunk but she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from letting out a loud ouch. "Behave yourself. I will not be subjected to yours and Ichigo's pissing match. If you don't stop teasing, I won't stay here with you."

He clutched a hand to his heart in feigned hurt. "Rukia, why do you ask me these impossible things?"

She laughed and shook her head at him before grabbing Ichigo by the wrist and pulling him aside. "I'm really going to be okay. Just go. Don't worry about Grimm. He's harmless."

Ichigo raised a brow. "I remember a conversation with him a few nights ago telling him the same thing about Riruka. That didn't hold much weight to him, did it?"

She rolled her eyes in irritation. "It might have something to do with the fact that you were already sleeping with her before. Grimmjow and I are as non-sexual as a pair of tombstones, really."

Ichigo grinned despite himself. "You just have no idea of what you're capable of, do you?"

"Many things, I assume, But I don't sit around and tally up all my awesome attributes. They come up when I need them. I try not to shove them in people's faces like a second nose."

He laughed. "Alright, I'll leave. But should Grimmjow do anything stupid, I'm on your speed-dial."

Rukia gave him an impatient sigh. "Yes. On number twelve, I believe. Oh, wait, there's no button for that. You must be the one on six labeled nagging mother."

"Smart midget" he said as he tapped a finger on her nose and turned toward the door. "I'll see you later, Rukia." Then to Grimmjow who stood a few feet away from them patiently waiting, he said, "Hey, Grimm. Remember second grade when I broke all your fingers? Yeah? Just keep thinking about that."

"Sure, barbarian," Grimmjow called back out with a grin. "I remember when I kicked you in the balls right after that. Did Rukia want babies? 'Coz I'm pretty sure I caused you permanent damage."

She elbowed Grimmjow in the stomach. "Boys, take it down a notch, will you? I don't want to suddenly get struck by lightning here with all your filthy talk."

"Just remember, Grimm," was Ichigo's parting shot before he jogged down the front steps of the chapel and into his waiting car.

Twenty minutes later, she and Grimmjow were sitting on one of the sturdier low branches of a white oak tree, sharing a lone bottle of water they dug up in the backseat of his Range Rover and a chocolate bar.

"Are you excited about the wedding?" he asked, passing her the chocolate bar for her turn at a bite.

She shrugged. "Isn't every girl?"

He gave her a meaningful look. "I think we've established since the night we met that you're not like any girl. Despite everything, Ichigo's a good guy, once he's let you in. But most of the time he'll be stubborn and difficult. He's not the most sensitive person either. But he'll always have your back and he's relentless when it comes to someone he cares about."

"Are you trying to convince me to marry Ichigo, Grimm?" Rukia asked teasingly. "'Coz I can assure you, I'm already doing that."

A strange emotion flickered in Grimmjow's bright blue eyes. "I can hardly miss that fact. Ichigo's a smart guy. He found you and snatched you up before you could slip through his hands."

"You give me way too much credit. Has it ever occured to you that I was the one who didn't want him to slip through my hands?"

"Actually, it didn't because although Ichigo's a great catch, I think you can have any man you want, Rukia," he said, taking a bite before giving her the last piece, a smile on his face. "The only reason you're marrying Ichigo is because you love him."

A strange pounding started in her chest at Grimm's last statement.

\- No. I couldn't possibly love Ichigo. It would devastate me.

"You do love him, don't you?" He prompted and she realized she haven't said anything in the last few minutes.

She put a bright smile on for him. "You're really asking me that? If you were a girl, you wouldn't need to. You'd be so in love with him yourself it would be ridiculous to imagine an alternate reality."

Grimmjow sighed and shifted on the branch to face her fully. "You're right. Any girl would fall for his good looks, wealth and status. Having known Ichigo most of my life, that's hardly news. That's the same reason he's managed to avoid marrying any of those women, because that was all they loved. I doubt you're prone to the same influences."

"Of course I am," She told him airily, tossing her hair back for an added effect. "I love a rich, hot guy as much as the next girl."

Grimm laughed and tossed her a piece of bark he'd scraped up from the trunk. "Be serious. What do you love the most about Kurosaki?"

Rukia pursed her lips, wondering how to get away from this particular topic.

"I love that he rescued me from the douchebag harrassing me at Urahara's," She started, feeling encouraged when Grimm's eyes lit up with interest. "I love that he randomly grabs my hand for a squeeze in reassurance. I love that he's actually funny when he's not being his usual self. I love that he has a good relationship with his Dad even if they clash sometimes given their very similar domineering personalities. I love that he makes me feel beautiful just by the way he looks at me sometimes, hence I can see how affected he is by me. I love that even though he thinks I'm a little crazy, he doesn't really do much to change that about me, even when he'd be so much better off with me as the perfect lady."

Rukia finally stopped when she realized she was rambling and glanced at Grimmjow in embarrassment.

He was just smiling.

"Well, you did ask me," She said with a roll of her eyes, tossing him the balled up wrapper of the chocolate bar. He caught it easily before the wind could.

"I did and I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or regretting that I did," he answered with a loud sigh. "I'm happy that you see a lot more in Ichigo than other women do but I'm crushed that I'll have a much harder time convincing you to leave him for me."

She burst out laughing. "Stop it. At some point I'll believe you and that'll just be weird."

He grinned and put his hand over hers briefly. "Think of it as an open invitation. Anytime he does something as stupid as break your heart, I'll be there."

When she realized that he could be serious, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Is it because you truly care or are you just competitive with Ichigo?"

"I don't compete with him, especially not over women," He protested with an oh-please look on his face. "We don't even like the same type."

She arched a brow at him. "Oh, yeah? Then why do you like me?"

Grimmjow pressed his lips together as if debating what he was about to say next. "You're not really Ichigo's type which I realized the moment I saw you. You didn't stand so primly or poise the smile on your face to be a specific size and look, or only laugh up to a certain octave. You were tapping one foot impatiently as if you'd rather be somewhere, grinned and laughed without holding anything back. It was at that moment that I worried whether my friend had finally found the right woman who was nothing like the others he dabbled with before or he had frontal lobotomy."

Rukia flushed but smiled. "I think there was a compliment in there somewhere."

He grinned. "It's all of it. You just have to realize, Rukia, that there's absolutely nothing wrong in being who you are even if it doesn't quite fit the mold. You have to stop second-guessing your worth just because you're uncomfortable with the change."

"Thanks, Grimmjow," She told him, putting her other hand on top of his which was already covering her other one. "I know exactly what you mean but it's nice to be reminded sometimes."

He nodded and patted her shoulder. "Good. Now, come on and let's get you home before Ichigo sends out a search party."

* * *

me: For some reason, this chapter didn't show up even after I posted it this morning. Thank you Amethysthazel for telling me. We needed this chapter to show how their motives have changed before the wedding happens. Sorry for the less IchiRukiness.

Again, thank you to all of those who have been reading and reviewing. Sorry no replies for today, I have an important meeting to attend to, and just re-uploaded this chap in a rush. :) We really appreciate your feedbacks. It helps to know if people are excited about the story. It makes me want to tell you what happens next as soon as possible. = )


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the favs: ArinaMaron/ ChocoLava / TheSchizophrenic / WhiteEagle0 / chxu0303 / golden-eyedwolf 842 / manusxmachina / shirayukideathberry / tjklutey. And to the new followers of this fic too.

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

*This chapter is dedicated to **Gooeystar83** for requesting HitsuKarin.*

* * *

Chapter Nine: ''Love is Pretty Terrifying. It can either make you really happy or rip you to shreds."

* * *

"You look like a pocket-sized Venus."

"That's a little bit better than the pin-up girl compliment I got earlier so I'll take it," Rukia told Karin with a grin as she gave her a quick hug. She had just shown up at the private rooftop bar lounge they rented for the night in the most expensive hotel in town.

"You sure know how to sex it up," Nelliel said dryly, appearing behind her sister.

Rukia laughed and stepped aside to let them through the door. "Yes, well, the girls seemed to have mixed up tonight as my honeymoon and forced me to wear this on the threat of tickling and spiders."

"The virgin needs to be initiated before her wedding night and the first step is to make her aware of just how hot and sexy she is!" Yoruichi bellowed from the hot tub where she was already sprawled with a bunch of the girls from Urahara's, all clad in bikinis and clinking cocktail glasses with each other.

Her cheeks burned with mortification as the sisters turned to her with identical looks of surprise.

"You're a virgin?"

"My brother restrained himself?"

Rukia glowered at the girls in the hot tub and then looked at the sisters who were staring at her like she'd sprouted two horns and a third breast. "Yes, I'm a virgin. I decided to sell my virginity to the highest bidder - your brother - and offer it on my wedding night. Satisfied?"

Karin smiled. "I'm actually not surprise."

Even Nelliel, who had arrived looking like she hated the world, gave a reluctant nod. "You're not at all what I expected, Rukia."

"I get that a lot. Now, go get changed into your swimsuits and join us at the pool. Yoruichi-san arranged for karaoke and we're doing it while half-submerged in water. Yes. Silly, I know, but I didn't plan this so don't look at me."

"I'll go change," Karin announced. "I hope you have something strong in your bar because I'm going to need it tonight."

Nelliel eyed her in irritation. "We talked about this. You're not drinking, Karin."

"You said coming here was a good idea to distract myself and I'm doing just that."

"We'll all get into trouble with Dad if he finds out any of us went drinking because we're not legally allowed yet. Especially you."

Karin thrust her chin up stubbornly. "I'm already in trouble with him. I might as well earn all my colors and be the black sheep among his children. One of us has to do it. We're all too damn perfect."

Rukia watched the sisters' exchange in silent interest. Obviously, there was a lot of tension going on between the two. Karin was being a lot more outspoken than usual. Reading between the lines, she figured it had something to do with Karin's love affair with the famous lawyer Toshiro Hitsugaya.

"Hey, Karin. Inoue wanted your opinion on the thesis draft she outlined," she blurted out, putting an arm around the younger sister and steering her toward the food bar where Inoue was talking with Isane. Both girls were sporting bikinis. And before she could protest, Rukia turned on her heel and headed for Nelliel who was scowling at her cellphone.

"Nel, come on. I'll show you the change room." She grabbed her by the elbow with no warning and dragged her to the small hall that led to the shower and change room. "I want to see what you're wearing. I need swimsuit ideas for my honeymoon trip with Ichigo."

Nelliel eyed her warily. "I don't think you need help in that department. That set you have on will have his blood running hot."

Rukia turned to the wall-sized mirror to check herself out.

It was quite a sexy number.

The top was red with white polka dots and small ruffles outlining the inner edges of the triangles that covered her modest cups. The tiny bottom was bright red and cut high enough to show a good lower half of her bum, only subtly made decent by the small, lightly ruffled skirt that wrapped around it from the waistband down. The design definitely played up her curves and the cut of the waistband was kind to her flat abdomen.

"I can't believe you're still a virgin." Nelliel's bemused comment drew her attention back to her. She was sitting on a plush armchair, unstrapping her high-heeled sandals. "Who comes out of high school nowadays without having lost it?"

Rukia gave her a meaningful look. "Those who didn't feel like giving it away. Many of the guys in high school were selfish, immature jerks who would screw a post if it had the appropriate receptacle. I just couldn't deal with that."

Nelliel laughed. "I have a feeling the restraint was all on your side now. I'm just amazed that Ichigo is marrying a girl he couldn't sleep with first considering he's slept with dozens of women all these years without taking any of them to the altar."

Rukia made a face. "Do you really want to discuss your older brother's sex life with me?"

Nel wrinkled her nose. "Not really. I'm just... surprised, that's all, considering things looked hot and heavy between you two in the backseat of his car when you showed up at brunch."

Rukia grinned although she could feel her cheeks warm up. "The hot part was just the summer heat. The heavy part was me crushing the life out of your brother by sitting on him."

Nelliel smiled and shook her head before rising to her now-bare feet and picking up her beach tote. "Hmm. Well, I hope you get to do more... sitting on him on your honeymoon. I'll go change."

Rukia's bachelorette party was actually a real blast throughout the barbecue dinner, the pool-side karaoke and some of the games they played like Pin The Cherry On Top where they all took turns placing the paper cut-out of a cherry on certain body parts of a nearly-nude, life-sized male model covered up in printed swirls of whipped cream in strategic locations.

After the games, they all sat down around the pool ledge and unwrapped the presents the girls brought her. Since they were all decidedly naughty, she was slightly horrified especially when the girls started giving her tips on how to best use the toys and other kinky items which she decided not to name out loud.

The only not-so-fun part of the night was the obvious elephant sitting between the two sisters who avoided looking or speaking at each other. Karin was getting wasted despite Rukia's attempts to water down her drinks when she wasn't looking and Nelliel was starting to look like she was plotting an assassination.

Minutes later Rukia stopped talking with the girls when she heard the raised voices coming out of the change room. They couldn't be by anyone else but the sisters. She hurried to the change room, walking right into the progressing arguing match between Karin and Nelliel.

"Look Karin, I care for you more than you know. And it pains me to see you suffering because of some guy who can't stand his ground and can't love you in return."

"He has his reasons. You know that!"

"Hey, hey!" Rukia loudly chimed in and put herself between them. "What's happening here?"

"Toshirou Hitsugaya's engagement party is today and Karin is going crazy." Nelliel said, shaking her head.

"Stop it Nel-chan. Don't judge me because You of all people, have no idea what's it's like to be in love! You know why? Because no one's good enough for you! No one can do anything right! And you know what Nel-chan? You're going to become your own prediction because you will have no one! You're going to wake up someday, and you'll find yourself old and lonely, and when you do, remember that you did it to yourself!"

Rukia took a good look at Nelliel and saw the pain flash in her eyes. "Nelliel.." She said slowly, wondering how she was going to get to her without letting go of Karin who would most likely make out with the floor without her support.

"I'm fine Rukia. " Nel said stiffly as she squared her shoulders and sniffed back tears. "I'm sorry but I have to go, I hope you enjoy the rest of your party."

Nel was gone in seconds, leaving her muttering at Karin who didn't look like her usual self.

"Karin.."

She said nothing, her misery clear on her face, and Rukia took pity on her. "Karin, do you have any security we can call tonight?"

She shook her head, "No. I haven't had anyone tailing me around since I was sixteen. It's my hard-won victory from Dad."

"Okay, then stay here and let me just tell the other girls we're heading out," she told her gently, touching her knee. "I think we should get you home so you can rest and sleep it off."

She barely nodded and Rukia wasted no time in heading right back out to the pool to talk to Inoue. She assigned to wrap up the party and make sure everyone got driven home safely. Rukia slipped on an oversized, light gray sweatshirt, pulled her hair up into a messy top-knot and was just heading for the change room when she saw Isane coming out."Is Karin still there, holding up in one piece?"

"Karin-chan?" Isane asked. "She stormed off a few minutes ago saying something about going somewhere important."

Her heart sank."No."

"Kuchiki-san, what's wrong?" Isane called out as Rukia dashed toward the door.

"Nothing! Thanks for coming, Isane!" She hollered back at her before slamming the door shut behind. She jumped into the elevator and practically punched the button for the lobby into the panel. After a few minutes she found Karin outside the building leaning on a post. It looks like she was waiting for a cab.

"Karin, time to go home."

"Can't go home yet," Karin said, her voice determine. "Can't be alone."

Rukia sighed. "If you'd like you can stay with me tonight. It's nothing luxurious, mind you, but I doubt that in your condition, you'd care. You're clearly wasted."

"I'm not wasted!" Karin argued. "I am broken-hearted! There's a difference."

Rukia raised her brow at her. "Of course there is. Getting wasted is usually the idiot's solution to being broken-hearted or just being simply broken. People shouldn't get drunk. They should take their heads out of their cups and do something about their situation whether it's to try to fix things or get on with their lives."

Rukia nearly stumbled forward when Karin suddenly bolted from her and reached for the cab that just pulled up on the curb to let its passengers out. Rukia dashed after her as Karin practically elbowed her way into the backseat of the cab. Rukia gave the woman Karin just brushed past an apologetic smile as she jumped into the backseat.

"Where are we going?" She demanded at Karin as the taxi pulled out into the street, the sudden motion throwing them back into their seats. Karin groggily gave an address to the driver.

She glanced at Karin, recognizing the address as an upscale high-rise condo. "Is that your place?"

She didn't answer. She turned away instead and curled into herself. Her skin was shiny with perspiration and when she reached out to to her arm, her skin was breaking out in cold sweat.

"Hey," Rukia said softly, brushing Karin's damp hair off her forehead and touching her cheek. "You okay?"

"I don't feel so well," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her belly and closing her eyes. "The motion of the cab... Rukia-chan. I don't -"

And with little warning, she lurched forward and tossed her cookies all over her feet and the taxi floor. The strong, rancid smell of alcohol and stomach acids filled the taxi and Rukia groaned in disbelief just as the driver shrieked in fury.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing -"

"I'm so sorry but just get us to the address and I'll pay you to get it all cleaned up."

The driver was still muttering as he pulled up in front of the twenty-story building and grumpily took the small wad of about six-hundred yen she handed him. She just got Karin out on the sidewalk before the taxi sped away. Rukia looked at her soiled feet and shook off her sweatshirt. Despite it being a summer night, the hour was late and there was a nip in the air that made Rukia shiver slightly but she ignored it.

"Toshirou!" Karin started screaming, swaying toward the entrance of the building. "Toshirou, come out here!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Rukia groaned at the realization of where they were. "Really? Of all friggin' places, you brought us here? Have you lost your mind?"

"I have to see him!" Karin yelled.

"Not like this, you can bet your ass on it!" She snapped, growing increasingly frustrated with her. "I'm not going to let you scandalize everyone in the building at one in the morning and get us both thrown into jail!"

Tears shone brightly in her eyes. "But you said yourself that a person has to do something with her situation—to try to fix things or move on with their lives."

"Well, don't take my advice. Only crazy people do and you're not, are you? So come on, let's get you -"

"No!" Karin protested stubbornly, trying to pull her arm out of her grasp. "I have to see him. He has to decide once and for all whether he wants to be with me or her! If he won't choose then we're through!"

Rukia groaned out loud, exhaling sharply. "For God's sakes, Karin, now is not the time to have an epiphany. Try it first thing tomorrow morning."

"But -"

"That's it! We're taking you home," She declared as sternly as possible, reaching for Karin's bag. "Now, where's your cell? I'm going to have to call Ikkaku-san and have him pick us up because I'm out of cash to pay cab drivers if you decide to toss your cookies all over their floor again."

"No cell," she answered weakly, shaking her head.

"What do you mean no cell?"

"I tossed it in the toilet and flushed it down! I called him and... and I could hear her voice in the background. He was home with her, doing God knows what! I just... I couldn't stand it! That's when Nel-chan walked in on me."

She stared at Karin in disbelief. "Well, we're completely screwed now because I don't have my cell either. I remember you grabbed it from me and I have no idea where it is now."

Ichigo and Isshin-san are going to kill her if anything happens to Karin. She might attend both her wedding and funeral in three days. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and look around the street. Rukia gasped out in relief when she saw a telephone booth at the end of the block, just by a pharmacy that was now closed.

"Karin-chan, come on," She said, pulling her along. "It's time to call reinforcements."

"But -"

"Listen. If you show up like this at Toshirou's door, I won't be surprised if he washes his hands of you. Is this the kind of woman he should leave his fiancée for? One who's completely sauced and reeking of her own vomit?"

Rukia knew it was harsh and she normally wouldn't have said anything like that but she'd let this go on long enough tonight. Karin was going to get them into serious trouble if she didn't pull it together.

To her everlasting relief, her statement seemed to have sobered her up. Karin paled further than she thought possible and nodded slowly, biting her lip. "You're right. I shouldn't have come. I'm... I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," Rukia said with a sigh, tugging her forward again. "We all screw up at some point. Now, come on."

She had no trouble getting her to follow her into the telephone booth. Rukia dug out some change from her pocket and was trying to find enough quarters when someone slammed into the side of the booth. Her arm shot out to grab Karin as two figures loomed over the door. They reeked of weed and alcohol. Her chest tightened in terror but she said nothing.

"Hello, pretties," one of them slurred and tilted his head that a shaft of light coming from the street lamp overhead caught his face. It was scruffy and pock-marked, the eyes slightly bloodshot.

"What are the two of you doing out here? Looking for some action?" the shorter figure said, switching the beer bottle he was holding from one hand to another before reaching out to touch her breast. She instinctively swatted his hand away.

"Get away or we'll scream until the whole neighborhood wakes up," Rukia warned in as steady a voice she could manage, her fingers gripping Karin's arms tightly.

The taller guy cackled out a laugh. "I doubt you could if both your mouths are stuffed with something that will please both me and my buddy here. What d'ya say, pretties?"

She narrowed her eyes at them despite the severe pounding of her heart against her ribcage. "I say, f-ck you."

"You're a mouthy bitch." The shorter guy grabbed Rukia by the chin, his fingers digging into her skin as she tried to twist her head away. "If you don't want to give us a good time, how about you give us all your cash and goodies, yeah? Your friend here looks like she's from around here. She must be loaded."

\- I really wish she were loaded with more vomit so she can throw up all over you dirtbags. -

"I'll give you my stuff," Karin finally said handing her bag to them just as the bigger guy snatched it away. "Just let us go."

"I want those blings on your ears, missy," the shorter guy said, reaching forward to flick his fingers against the diamond studs Rukia was wearing—another part of her jewelry collection that Ichigo provided.

Suddenly afraid the man was just going to tear them off her ears, she raised her hands and quickly unfastened the earrings. That's when Rukia realized her mistake. The shorter guy sucked in a breath as his hand grabbed her left one and pulled her out of the booth. He raised her hand to the light to further admire the glittering diamond.

"Now, there's a rock," he said to the big guy in a breathy voice. "Think of what that will buy us."

"Loads," The big guy answered in almost childish excitement. "We'll be good for a while."

Rukia bit the inside of her cheek, slyly glancing at Karin who had quietly slipped out of the booth and stood behind her as the two men bent over her hand. She knew it was a huge risk but she suddenly reared her right leg back and swung her shin forward until it came into contact with the man's crotch. He howled in pain and bowed over, dropping his beer bottle to the grassy patch of the sidewalk.

"Karin, run!" Rukia screamed at her as she whipped around to take off.

She yelled out in pain when a thick arm caught her over her rib and sent her slamming against the man's large, burly body. "You're going to pay for that!"

The other one, still groaning and bouncing around in his toes, came over to her and sent a fist straight into her stomach. All of her breath left her in one great whoosh to be replaced shortly by an excruciating pain.

"Rukia-chan!" Karin shouted in horror.

To her disbelief, Karin jumped on the man's back and start kicking, punching wildly at him whilst screaming murder. Rukia however gasped in pain further when her attacker's arm tightened around her crushed midsection, her vision dimming. Since the man's lock on her was practically holding up her entire body, Rukia pushed both her feet up until they were up in the air, forcing all her weight down on her attacker's arms around her midsection and ignoring the vicious pain as she folded up her legs up and stretched them forward on a swinging motion, landing both her feet at the man's chest with enough force to send him sprawling on the ground.

Caught off guard by Rukia's attack, her attacker's hold loosened as he tried to get to his partner and she crouched down and grabbed the beer bottle by its neck, turning around fast and smashing it on the side on his head. She hissed a string of curse words as a couple pieces of sharp glass embedded themselves in her palm as she pushed the man on his back, blood coursing down the side of his face.

Rukia turned around and saw his partner crawling back up on his knees, lunging forward and grabbing one of Karin's ankles. She tried to kick him off but he regained his footing and came up to her, backhanding her on the side of her face.

"Karin!" Rukia started to come after them but her attacker caught the back of her tank top and used it to propel her toward the concrete bench next to the telephone booth. The momentum of his throw flung her against the sharp and hard edge of the bench seat. The rough surface of the concrete path along the sidewalk scraped her knees raw. Her vision was blurry with pain and consciousness threatened to drift away but she took a deep, punishingly painful breath and forced herself back up on her feet, holding her weight against the bench.

Suddenly, there were voices shouting as footsteps thumped on the sidewalk. Through Rukia's spinning vision, she saw a small group of men heading toward them, most of them wearing pajamas, a couple of them carrying baseball bats. She could hear their attackers cuss out loud just as the sound of a police car siren started getting louder.

"Hey, miss. Are you okay?"

The next half hour was a blur.

Rukia remembered the police arriving and arresting the pair of thugs who were detained by the guys who lived in the apartment across the street. She and Karin were taken to the hospital in an ambulance after they gave their statements to the police. When they got there, she waited until Karin was sent away to be looked after, as she may have suffered a concussion from the impact when that man backhanded her on the side of her face.

Once she was gone, Rukia pulled a nurse aside to speak with. She told the nurse she only had very basic health insurance that would charge an arm and leg for co-pay for any of the medical exam bills and that since nothing felt seriously broken or injured, she could do with just a little patching up and some rest.

The nurse didn't look convinced about letting her skip the exams but her disheveled look must've helped. She eventually seated her in one of the empty gurneys lined up by the hallway outside of the emergency ward.

"You're going to have to ice those ribs," the nurse said. "I can't tell if they're cracked or just bruised but breathing, talking and eating are going to be difficult in the next few days. You'll have to take some painkillers for that but you'll need prescription for anything stronger than the average over-the-counter stuff."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll have to - "

"Rukia!"

They both jumped at the thunderous voice resonating throughout the hallway. She bit her lip to keep her from crying out at the pain that hit her rib area again after bouncing up in her position.

"I got a call from the police about you and Karin getting rushed to the hospital after being attacked by a pair of muggers," he snarled, his hazel eyes dark and flashing. "I drove like a mad man here and rushed to the room filed under Kurosaki, expecting to find you in there with my sister or at least in another private suite. I found out that you're only listed for the ambulance expense and that you've opted out on all medical aid. I swear, Rukia, you will succeed in driving me absolutely insane someday," Ichigo finally said with an exasperated sigh before scooping her into his arms.

Her midsection protested at the sudden move and she shrieked in pain that had Ichigo cursing.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice shaky with fear. "Rukia?"

"It's too late to ask that now, you idiot!" Rukia snapped at him, squeezing her eyes shut and shifting ever so slightly until she could find a comfortable angle again although her antagonized speech just added to the pain.

"You can take her back to the emergency room if you'd like the doctor to examine her," The nurse cautiously said, gesturing Ichigo toward the wide door. "She didn't want medical assistance. I took a risk in patching her up. I hope you can understand that."

Ichigo simply nodded to the nurse and followed her into one of the vacant beds where he gently set her down.

"You're fussing too much, you know?" She said faintly, grateful for the sudden comfort on stretching out on a bed that didn't require her to hold herself up and strain her midsection. "I'm sure I'm fine."

"You're not a medical expert and you occasionally downplay your own suffering so I won't listen to your opinion on this," he said sternly as he stood next to her after the nurse left to get a doctor.

"As if you're any better," Rukia grumbled, closing her eyes. "How's Karin? Is she okay?"

"Don't worry about her now, Ruks," Grimmjow finally spoke up somewhere on the other side of her bed. "She's fine. You have to concentrate on getting better yourself."

"And then we're going to talk about what happened tonight and what possessed the two of you to go walking around town in this late hour - wearing that! " Ichigo started ranting off in a voice straining with bitter fury. "You assured me you didn't need looking after. Now look at you! Do you have any idea what they could've done to you if help didn't come? I can just imagine the - no, I don't want to think about it!"

"I think Kurosaki here is falling into pieces," Grimmjow murmured into her ear, a smile in his voice.

Rukia still kept her eyes shut but she couldn't help smiling back. She attempted to sit up but the movement shifted her sore muscles that she groaned and fell back into the bed.

"Grimmjow, what is it now?" Ichigo demanded. "What did you do to her? Don't distress - "

"You're the one distressing her, Ichigo," Grimmjow said coolly. "Do you think it's helping her having you yell at her ear after the hell she's been through? Why don't you step out for some fresh air and - "

"I'm not leaving her!"

"Then shut up and just stay with her, dammit," Grimmjow snapped and she could hear the scrape of his chair as he got up. "Hold her hand and just keep close. I'm going to go check on Karin."

Once Grimm was gone, their little curtained area became enveloped in silence, the sounds of the hospital still surrounding them but seeming detached somehow. Rukia tentatively felt the warmth and weight of Ichigo's hand as he covered hers, interlacing their fingers together. Her hand instinctively curled around his as he raised it up and pressed it against his lips.

"Rukia," he said, his voice low and gentle this time. He didn't say anything else that she wondered if he was waiting for some kind of response from her.

"Yeah?" She asked softly, slowly opening her eyes.

He was gazing at her, his hazel eyes intense with worry. "I was so scared," he whispered, his eyes closing briefly, his long lashes brushing the skin on the back of her hand which he held.

Despite the riot of her thoughts and emotions in the last three hours, she strangely felt instantly better, the sweet, soft ache somewhere in her chest unrelated to her injuries.

"Me too, Ichigo," Rukia said with a smile. "Me too."

.

.

"I may be doped up but I'm not going home with you to your condo, Ichigo."

"It's either that or I stay at your house," Ichigo said as he draped his jacket over her shoulders an hour later. Rukia was sitting on her bed at the emergency ward after going through a couple of X-rays and tests with the doctor who finally declared that her only real signifcant injuries were a couple of bruised ribs and a sprained wrist.

He'd given her the greenlight to rest at home and a prescription for some of the best painkillers. It had an incredible numbing effect on everything that ached and gave her a floaty feeling that Ichigo was keen to take advantage of in convincing her to stay in his condo. Well, he wasn't convincing her from the sound of their conversation in the last ten minutes. He was commanding her to do it and the weak protests she made were for mere pride only.

"Do you have chicken noodles?" She asked as he stood back and leaned down to slide her rubber flip-flops back on her feet. "The instant cup ones that just need hot water. If you do, I'll go with you. Those are my favorite."

He looked at her with a wry smile. "I'll make sure to stock up. I won't have any tonight, though. Will oatmeal do for now?"

"Okay," Rukia said sleepily, pressing her face against his chest, his hands resting on each side of her hips. "Can we go now, please?"

"Someone escaped her room to see you," Grimmjow's voice came around the corner as he pushed Karin's wheelchair forward. "We have about five minutes before I have to run her back."

Karin was dressed in the same light blue hospital gown which Rukia still wore, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, her face scrubbed clean and beautiful except for the bruise swelling on her right cheek.

"Karin! Are you okay?" She exclaimed, attempting to slip off the bed but failing when Ichigo easily kept her in place with his hands on her hips.

She smiled weakly at her. "I'll be fine, Rukia-chan. Just a little banged up like you. I don't have a concussion but they're keeping me overnight just for observation because I did get hit pretty hard in the head."

Rukia smiled back at her in relief. "That's good news."

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have gotten so drunk. You and Nel-chan... You were just trying to look after me. I'm so sorry, Rukia-chan. I should've listened to you."'

"It's okay, Karin," She told her softly. "I totally understand why you were in such a dark place. I did what I could to help. I'm just glad we got off lightly."

"Those scumbags wouldn't," Grimmjow said, his handsome face dark with disdain. "Once we're done with them, they won't be walking free for a long time."

She winced inspite of her sense of justice. "Does Isshin-san know?"

"He will tomorrow," Ichigo said, eyeing his sister sternly. "I know you intentionally gave the police my name and number to keep him out of this, Karin, but he needs to know what happened. He won't be happy but he'll understand."

Karin bit her lip, her guilt plain on her face. "I know, Ichi-nii. Thank you for coming and waiting at least tomorrow to tell Dad."

"I called Nel five minutes ago. She'll be here any minute."

Karin grimaced and remembered her nasty conversation with her sister earlier. Nelliel may still be mad and hurting about that but she had a good heart and clearly cared about her sister. She wouldn't be kept away.

"There's someone else you might want to tell, Karin," Ichigo added softly, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "But I'll leave that to you to decide on."

Rukia gave Ichigo a grateful smile, knowing he meant about Toshiro and seeing that he offered his sister no harsh judgement despite his opinion of the matter.

"Alright, time's running out," Grimmjow declared. "I'll take her back to her room and maybe I'll stay with her and Nel ."

"Thanks." Ichigo nodded before gently tilting Karin's chin so she could look up at him. "Sis, call me if you need anything, okay? Anything."

"Thank you, Ichi-nii."

.

.

Half an hour later, Rukia and Ichigo arrived at a magnificent high-rise building she couldn't quite appreciate in her drugged state. All she remembered was him pulling up by the entrance, dropping off his keys to a valet, and scooping her up in his arms. He carefully carried her throughout the whole elevator ride and the short walk to his suite.

Her eyes were drifting close when he laid her on a big, soft bed, tucking some pillows underneath her so she could sit comfortably while he went away with the promise of some hot, comforting oatmeal. Eating, even slurping down food, wasn't easy despite the painkillers but Ichigo patiently held up a spoonful to her mouth each time, waiting without complaint as she took nearly half an hour to finish the small bowl.

"I need to shower," Rukia croaked to him after he set aside the tray. "I need to... I have to wash it all away,

She wasn't sure what she was explaining since she could barely hold her end of the conversation but he looked at her and nodded as if he understood perfectly. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her into a giant bathroom. He set her down on her feet slowly before darting into the shower stall to turn the water on.

"Let me," he said just as she reached up to undo her bun, his fingers combing gently through the knots.

Rukia gasped softly when his hand slipped down from her hair and trailed a narrow path along her exposed spine, his fingers nimbly untying the pair of strings that held her hospital gown together. Even in her woozy state, she was distinctly aware of her nipples hardening beneath the thin fabric as she braced herself against suddenly getting stripped naked before Ichigo. He made no move to push off the gown though. He simply walked up behind her, the heat of his body chasing away the chill from her exposed back, his hand gathering her hair and draping it over one shoulder.

"I'll find you something to wear," he whispered, his lips brushing the side of her neck. "If you need help with anything, I'll be outside. Don't hesitate to call me."

He moved away and quietly closing the door behind him, leaving Rukia alone and shivering not from the cold or remnants of her fear but from the heat that Ichigo's proximity stirred in the deepest, most intimate parts of her.

\- It's just for tonight, Rukia. Tonight, you just can't be alone.

Despite her reassurances though, she knew that while she was safe from harm in Ichigo's care, she was in a different kind of peril at the same time—the kind that will bruise and break her heart. Sighing, she shrugged the gown off and stepped into the shower, refusing to look at the mirror until she washed off the grime and memories of tonight's, warm water helped with her aching, exhausted muscles and cleared the fog in her head a little. Rukia couldn't find any regular soap so she poured a dollop of some kind of men's shampoo directly on her head and let the water lather it up to wash down the rest of her body because her one hand was sprained and bound while the other was bandaged from the cuts she got from the beer bottle.

It smelled the way Ichigo did all the time.

Satisfied with how clean she felt, Rukia turned off the water and reached for the thick white towel that hung on the wall, wrapping it around herself.

A soft knock came on the door.

"Come in."

Ichigo stepped halfway through the door, already dressed in a white cotton shirt and dark blue pajamas, pausing to make sure she was covered up although he didn't look away quickly enough to disguise the flare of interest that lit up his eyes when he saw the towel wrapped around her dripping form.

"I found you some underwear in the bags Inoue had delivered here earlier but I couldn't find your regular clothes without going through each bag so you can just use one of my shirts for now," he said, walking in and setting down a folded, plain white shirt on the leather bench tucked in the corner of the massive bathroom. A pair of white lace panties was on top of it.

Her cheeks warmed at the thought of Ichigo rifling through her underwear but she didn't say anything. He walked up to the vanity and pulled open a bottom drawer where he took out a new toothbrush from a set. He slipped it in the slate cup that held a near identical which she assumed was his.

"Come on, let's get you dressed and ready for bed," he said gently, grabbing a smaller towel and wrapping it around her hair, squeezing the water out. "You don't look like you'll last much longer on your feet."

Rukia let him dry her hair, enjoying the soft presses of the towel against her face every now and then.

"It's going to hurt lifting your arms to put a shirt on so I found you a button-up one," he explained, picking up the shirt and undoing each of the button. "You can, um, cover up, if you'd like but I'll have to slip each sleeve through your arm so you don't strain yourself too much, okay?"

"Okay." She slowly extended her left arm and let him slide it through the sleeve while her right clutched the towel tightly in place. She switched and did the same thing with her right arm. He started doing up the top buttons, the oversized fit of the shirt allowing room for the towel to stay wrapped around her body.

"I'll turn around so you can put your panties on," he said, a faint smile curving on one corner of his mouth.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She asked, only managing a weak glare and no heat in her words.

His own smile broadened. "I like taking care of you."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Just close your eyes, Ichigo. No peeking or I'll kick your balls once I get better."

Ichigo lets out a husky laugh. She let the towel slip down to the floor but bending over to step into her underwear proved more challenging. The muscles in her midsection smarted despite being nearly numb and her sprained wrist couldn't apply much force without some pain.

"Need help?" he asked, his eyes still closed.

"I thought you're an expert at getting panties off, not putting them on," She said wryly as she pulled the underwear all the way up over her bum.

"I'm flexible." He shrugged but kept smiling.

"You can open your eyes now," She said as she straightened, wincing slightly.

"You okay?" he asked when he noticed her expression.

Rukia took a shallow breath. "Yeah. I will be."

Her hands reached down to finish buttoning the shirt up but Ichigo grasped her wrists, moving them away. He widened the gap of the shirt and she opened up her mouth to protest but whatever she had to say died in her throat when his fingers slipped under the shirt and carefully traced the area where she was injured.

"I want to see." He swallowed hard and gently tugged the shirt up, revealing her thighs, underwear and belly.

Rukia made no move to stop him as he revealed the still-red bruises that formed a clustered band just below her breasts. Some were a darker red and tinged with purple. The hand that was touching her skin curled into a fist as Ichigo stiffened, barely restraining his anger.

"I wish... I wish I could've been there," he said hoarsely, his jaw clenching.

She pushed his hand away and let the shirt's hem fall. "I'm glad you weren't because I'd hate to have to explain to your father why I'm bailing you out of jail."

His expression softened with a smile. "No matter what happens, the light in you just never goes out, does it?"

His comment tugged at something inside of her but she masked it with a shrug. "Self-sustaining inner sunshine. I should patent this and get rich."

He laughed and brushed a lock of hair off her cheek. "No. I want to keep it all to myself."

\- And will I burn brighter or eventually die out? -

Before they could say more, he swept her up in his arms again and carried her to the bed, pulling the covers over her bare legs and tucking them under her chin.

"I'll sleep in the couch," he said, grabbing a spare pillow and pointing to the long, plush sofa that extended along the length of his glass wall where she could already spy the soft pastel glow of the dawn outside.

"No, stay here," Rukia said, surprising herself but quickly realizing that she meant it. "The bed's big enough."

He hesitated for all of five seconds before he tossed the pillow back on the bed and slipped under the covers, turning to face her. He reached up and turned the lamps off, shrouding the room in shadows.

"Thank you for taking care of me," Rukia said as her eyes drifted close, feeling his fingers gently comb through her slightly damp hair. "It's been so long I've forgotten how it feels like."

"You're going to have to get used to it now," he said and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I'll do it all the time."

Rukia smiled and snuggled up closer to him, drawn to the warmth and protection of his body. After a long stretch of silence, he said, "Thank you, Rukia."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for what you did for Karin," he explained. "She told me what happened and what you did for her."

Rukia bit her lip. "She's in love, Ichigo, with a man she can't have. A man who belongs to someone else. It's destroying her."

"Love is pretty terrifying," he murmured, slowly slipping an arm over her hip, careful not to touch anywhere she was injured. "To have someone hold that much power over you. They can either make you really happy or rip you to shreds."

"It sounds scary if you put it that way," She agreed before letting out a big, long yawn.

The sound of Ichigo's voice, the motion of his fingers through her hair, and the protective arm he had over her hips made for a perfect combination that lulled her deeper into sleep.

"Will you do it?" She heard him asking. "Even if it's scary, will you do it?"

"If he's worth it, I will," Rukia mumbled absently. "Will you?"

"If she's worth it, I will."

"You can still cancel the wedding, you know?" She murmured. "I'll understand. I want you to be happy."

"Canceling the wedding isn't going to make me happy."

"If she owns your heart, Ichigo, you have to choose her or live a life of regret with someone else. Choose her."

She felt Ichigo's lips brush her cheek as her last conscious thought seeped out of her mind. The last thing she remembered was him whispering, "I am choosing her, Rukia."

* * *

Me: Aww.. I love the last part. Sorry about Karin, well we really haven't seen her getting drunk either in the manga or the anime. But in this fic she's 18 so I guess its okay for her to try getting drunk once in a while. :) Just a reminder though, HitsuKarin is just a side story.

x

Thank You guys for your reviews last chapter. I was having bad day but your reviews lighten up my mood. You guys are awesome!

Check out your PM's inbox for my replies.

Guest: My apologies, I will try to make them more in character. Thank you for your suggestions. :)

Guest: Thanks. Yes they are. :)

Guest: You do have a point about Rukia. No worries, our portrayal of Rukia's character won't be like that. :) I do appreciate you sharing your real thoughts.

Cc: Haha. Me too! :P

Nolly: Hi! Everytime a new reader comes in, it excites me. Thank you so much for the wonderful review. *blushes* Your words are very encouraging. I know exactly what you feel, I'd read a lot of IchiRuki fics as well that are incomplete and completely abandoned by their authors for some reason. I can't promise anything, since we really don't know what's going to happen in the near future right? But for now, We'll do our best (I personally will) not to disappoint you readers. *winks*

Sara1991: You're welcome. Glad you liked it. :)

Guest: Sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter covers it? :)

Guest: Aww, thanks for waiting. What do you think about this chap?


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the favs: AmericanJynx Jones/ lakeya2700. And to the new followers of this fic too.

*This chapter is dedicated to applepieshiomai, mbravesgirl and Gin as a thanks for their multiple reviews.*

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

* * *

Chapter Ten: "Hate does nothing but destroy you along with the person you nursed it for."

* * *

"Is she okay? Is Karin okay?" Nelliel directed the question to no one in particular as she rushed into her sister's hospital room. Karin was already asleep, the swollen bruise on her cheek the only evidence of tonight's disaster. Ichigo hadn't told her much when he called except that Karin and Rukia were mugged and attacked out on the street. Neither of them said it out loud but they both knew where said street was close to.

"Nel, hey."

She turned around at Grimmjow's gentle greeting and saw him rising from a corner chair. None of his usual humor was present. His dark blue hair was messy as if he'd run his hand through it a few times, his eyes tired and unsmiling.

"Is she okay? What did the doctors say?" She asked as she approached Karin's bed. "Her cheek looks horrible. Did they fix it? Are they -"

"They're keeping her overnight to observe for signs of concussion but the doctor said she's going to be okay. Bruised but okay," Grimm assured her as he fell into a step next to her.

Nel's hand clenched and unclenched as her worry started to dissipate and give way to anger. "How about Rukia?"

"She's a little roughed up but Ichigo took her home," he said. "You can visit her tomorrow morning."

She released a shaky breath and straightened her spine. "I hope they got the scumbags who did this to them."

"They're in jail right now and your brother's making sure they're dealt with for everything." She didn't look up when Grimmjow put a hand on her shoulder. Part of her wanted to shrink from it, knowing that the contact would weaken her and someday reduce her into what her sister had become, and another part wanted to take more of that touch until all this tension drained away from her.

"Nel, are you okay?" he asked softly.

She forced herself to look up into his mesmerizing blue eyes this time. "What do you think? I was safe and secure in my apartment, Grimm, watching old TV shows in my pajamas when I could've been looking out better for my sisters."

Rukia Kuchiki may not have been her idea of a sister-in-law but after tonight, Rukia Kuchiki had her loyalty.

"It's not your fault," he told her, slowly pushing against her shoulder to turn her toward him. She moved but didn't meet his eyes so he tilted her chin up. "Karin's old enough to make decisions for herself—even the bad ones. You can't blame yourself for their consequences."

There was no judgement or disapproval in his eyes and his words had been gently spoken.

"So you know? About her and..."

He shrugged. "Just because I never seem to stop talking doesn't mean I'm not listening. Ichigo's tried to talk to her before but like I said, at the end of the day, she decides what happens next. We'll have to let her tread the waters on her own."

"And let her drown for a f-cking coward of a man?" Nelliel snapped, angry tears prickling her eyes. "He doesn't deserve her. A man who cares so little for her heart doesn't deserve a piece of it. She needs to see that and let it go because there's nothing there for her. She'll be waiting for something she'll NEVER have."

She knows those words came from a deep, dark place inside of her that was familiar with the same hurt, carved out by the same guy who was telling her right now to allow the same thing to happen to her sister.

\- Thanks, but no thanks, Grimm. -

And somehow he sensed that because his hand dropped from her face and he moved away. He walked toward the window and leaned against it, his arms crossed, his hand rubbing his jaw as he watched her quietly. She didn't know what he could see but she sharply reminded herself that she wasn't there for him. Nelliel was there for her sister whose hands were getting skinned raw from holding on to a rope that attached to nothing at the other end.

Her hands bore similar scars.

.

.

Rukia expected to have no shortage of nightmares after the crazy night she and Karin had been through but when she woke up the next day, the unfamiliar but incredibly luxurious room bathed with the soft glow of the warm, late day sun, she only recalled a deep, peaceful sleep, free of bad dreams.

She stretched in bed, the agony of her midsection registering without delay, and she groaned out loud and held her breath until the pain subsided, only letting her eyes move to take in what was around her.

The minimalist furnishings, the gray, blue and white color scheme, and the brushed metal and wood accents definitely felt masculine and modern. On the other hand, the random, books lying around, the dark green sweater draped over the couch, and the small, untidy stack of papers and folders perched on a side table, gave it a comfortable and lived-in feel that stopped the place from looking like it was staged to appear in an interior-design magazine.

Turning her head to the side, she glanced at the dark gray pillow next to her, the dent on its center reminding her exactly of whose bed it was she currently stretched out on.

Ichigo.

Every memory from last night was vivid in her mind like a View-Master—each one flashing behind her closed eyes in perfect sequence with the rest. Strangely, the only ones that stood out were those of Ichigo. His face dark with fury marching down the hospital hall, the anxiety in his eyes when he admitted to being scared, the tenderness of his smile when he dried her hair and dressed her after her shower, his grim frustration when he inspected her bruises and his look of apprehension as he tucked her in bed with the weak resolve to sleep himself on the couch.

She didn't recall all the words but she remembered every confusing emotion that rioted for the prime spot in her heart.

\- How do I push away a man who just pulls me right back into his arms? -

Carefully, Rukia pushed herself up on her elbows and spied the digital alarm clock sitting on the night stand on Ichigo's side of the bed.

1:46 PM.

No wonder her head felt fuzzy. Decided that Ichigo had probably already gone to work sometime this morning, she didn't attempt to put any shorts on, or even look for any. She shuffled her feet to the bathroom wearing just his shirt that hung loose over her one shoulder and grazed the top of her thighs.

Her hair was a total mess and since she couldn't lift her arms up for too long, the most she managed was just getting it off her face. Rukia brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her face, dabbing away at the leftover smudges of mascara just under her eyes.

She was hungry and sorely tempted to raid the kitchen for food. With no memory of the penthouse's layout, she stepped out into hallway that ran past three more doors before leading to the open concept living space. As she poked her head out into what looked like the living room, she caught the sound of a familiar voice. Rukia tiptoed her way through the living room and stopped short when the kitchen and dining area came into view.

Ichigo was standing by the kitchen island, wearing a white apron over his gray shirt and jeans ensemble, ladling what appeared to be some kind of tomato sauce into a glass dish. He was looking at a laptop he had sitting on the counter a foot away from his prep area.

He looked up and caught her gaze, surprise registering on his expression as she slowly made her way over to him with a small smile. A warm blush crept on her cheeks as his eyes appraised her from head to toe because while he was sadly fully clothed under the apron, she was aware that his thin white shirt hid little in the light of the room.

Rukia was braless and her nipples were stiff under the soft fabric while her legs and feet were bare and fully exposed. Her dark, soft messy hair added to her look that screamed - she knows it - SEX.

The dark, hungry heat in his eyes was impossible to miss but instead of prompting her to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction, it pulled her in, remnants of last night's memories just right before she fell asleep springing in her mind. She remembered the whisper of his lips against her cheek and hair, the protective weight of his arm over her hip, the soft, soothing murmur of his words which she couldn't quite recall at the moment.

Maybe it was the drugs finally kicking in, or maybe it was just the plain simple fact that she was helplessly attracted to Ichigo Kurosaki.

\- I'm a woman after all. A curious virgin, one at that." -

She couldn't stop her feet until she came right up against him. Her hands gently grasped his forearms as she slowly stood up on her toes and brushed a featherlight kiss on the corner of his mouth. Rukia felt his muscles tense under her fingers but he didn't pull away. Instead, he tilted his face toward her slightly so that their lips met for a fraction of a second—one that stretched on for an eternity, before he pulled back slightly to angle for a deeper kiss.

She moaned sensually when she felt Ichigo's hand caressing her smooth, creamy thigh. His hand moved excruciatingly slow, up to where a part of her throbbed - she felt it - and wet. She gasps as Ichigo's lips released hers and continues down her neck. She felt his loving hand coming closer to where she wanted to be touch. Closer .. closer .. closer..

Sounds of throats being cleared imploded into her consciousness and she abruptly reared back, wincing at the shaft of pain on her midsection at the sudden twist of her torso. Rukia glanced at the laptop and gasped out loud in horror.

\- Oh, no! -

A conference room full of about five or six people stared back at them, some looking slack-jawed and others looking at everything but them. Even with half of Ichigo's body covering hers and the countertop hiding her from the waist down - Thanks goodness for that. She still looked like a splendid mess who was mashing faces with their boss.

Ichigo quickly recovered, setting down his ladle and wedging his body between her and the counter to block her from the view of their audience.

"Everyone, finish the rest of the discussion and email me the bid," he said with a resigned sigh as he leaned forward, reaching for the laptop. She could hear the amusement in his voice as he added, "My lady's awake and I'm all hers for the rest of the day. Goodbye."

Rukia peeked over his arm and saw that the screen was now off just as he was lowering the screen close.

"All mine for the day, huh?" Rukia blurted out as she stepped around from behind him. "What are your people going to think now? That I'm a needy bitch? Or a regular hussy who waltzes around your place practically naked?"

He smiled. "They're going to think that you are the poor, sick, little fiancee I'm nursing back to health. You're the explanation as to why I'm working from home today and why I'm wearing a damn apron and making lasagna in the middle of our meeting."

She bit her lip, softened by his admission, and glanced at the food he was making. "Do you know that I love home-made lasagna?"

He smirked and picked up the ladle again to finish pouring the sauce all over the pasta. "I know. Yoruichi-san told me. Why do you think I'm making it right now when there's more than a dozen other things I can make that take less time and work?"

"I don't think resentment is a secret ingredient to making it taste better," She grumbled with a roll of her eyes. "No one asked you, you know? I can just eat those chicken cup noodles."

He grinned. "I have those too which I can heat up for you right now because if the earthquake rumbling from your stomach is any indication, you're most likely starving."

She blushed. - Did he really heard that? -

"Sit and I'll get it ready for you," he said, pointing to one of the high stools that lined one side of the breakfast bar. "The lasagna's for dinner. Plus, there's chocolate mousse chilling in the fridge for dessert later."

She narrowed her eyes, fighting the thrill that shot through her heart. "Wait, is this reality? Did I hit my head last night? Or is this one of those Matrix moments?"

"Matrix moments?" Ichigo repeated with a wry smile as he set the electric kettle on before placing a cup of instant chicken noodles on a plate with a spoon and fork in front of her. "I was worried that you'd to be out of it today with all your pain meds but I think you're back, midget."

She gave him a death glare. "Don't. Call. Me. Midget."

Ichigo just chuckled. "As you wish. Shorty."

She was about to give him a spicy retort when her midsection throbbed in pain. Ichigo was by her side quickly as she thought.

"You okay." He asked, worries reflecting in his amber eyes.

"I'm fine. " She smiled. "After all, its not my first romp.''

Ichigo's eyes darken at those words. "What do you mean its not your first romp?"

"Nothing. Just forget about it."

He didn't look happy but he backed off and grabbed the kettle, pouring the hot water into the cup and letting her seal it back to cook the noodles for a few minutes. He slid on the stool next to her, folding his arms over the counter.

"Tell me okay. And before you start, I'll need all the names and possible locations so I can find them and make them pay," he said, his calm, even voice intimidating her more than his explosive temper flares.

She snorted and picked up her fork. It was a bit awkward to eat with her bandaged palm but it was manageable. "You can't really kill someone who's already dead and rotting six feet in the ground, Ichigo, but I appreciate the thought."

"It was your father." He stated as a matter of fact. "If he was alive, I could've killed him with my bare hands."

"You can't throw away your life for someone so unworthy of it," Rukia said as she peeked at him from her lashes. "I decided that I wouldn't, no matter how much I wanted to avenge myself, and you shouldn't either. Hate does nothing for anyone but destroy them along with the person they nursed it for."

A strained smile ghosted across Ichigo's lips as he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Sometimes, I'm amazed by your fighting spirit. Sometimes, I absolutely hate it because it makes you so damn stubborn about letting me protect you."

She smiled back. "That's because I don't need protection. I bounce back and keep going."

"Your belief that you're invincible you could fight anyone for everyone is exactly the reason why you need protection," Ichigo said before taking a deep, ragged breath. "Even superheroes need the occasional rescue."

Rukia closed her eyes.

\- If anything needs rescuing now, it's my heart. -

Minutes later, Ichigo let her finish her food while he finished preparing the lasagna. Then he scooped her up in his arms, despite her adamant protest that her legs were just fine, and deposited her in the shaded sitting area of his vast and beautiful penthouse balcony that looked out to the city skyline. He was still in a pretty somber mood but he stretched out next to her on the outdoor sofa with his laptop to do more work while she did her best to shut up and give him peace to run his multi-billion company.

Once Ichigo was done, he tossed his phone on the coffee table and set his laptop down next to it. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up," he said as he rose and scooped her up in his arms. "I'll show you your bedroom and while I get your bath ready, you can pick out some clothes. When you're done with that, I'll change your bandages and help you get dressed, okay?"

Rukia rolled her eyes as he carried her back inside. "I'm not an invalid, you know? The pain is there but dulled by the drugs. I can shower and change on my own."

"A soak in the tub might help soothe your stiff body better than a shower," he said as he continued down the hall. "As for helping you get dressed, I'd like to think that I did a superb job last night and that you'd want my services again."

"Keep it in your pants, pervert," She chided without any heat. "I swear, you're just using all of this as an excuse to put your hands all over me."

"Damn! And here I thought I was subtle," he teased with a wink and just laughed when she smacked him gently on the chest.

"You're about as subtle as a rhinoceros," Rukia said, smirking, but before she could say any more, he pushed open the door and stepped into one of the prettiest rooms she'd ever seen in her entire life.

"Oh, wow."

Her breath caught as she took in the turquoise-painted wall behind the cream-colored, leather-cushioned sleigh bed stacked high with bright, colorful pillows. A matching pair of white night stands stood on each side of the bed, holding up sleek, white lamps and a tall, crystal vase full of fresh, dark pink peonies. A peach-colored suede bench was pushed up against the foot of the bed, draped with a pale blue wrap. Facing the bed was a white wall featuring a modern fireplace and a bright, summery abstract painting. On each side of the fireplace was a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, sparsely filled with a mix of books, art pieces and little collectibles like seashells and charming, hand-painted miniature cupcake stands. To the right of the bed was an entire wall of glass with a door to the balcony right next to the white wooden study desk paired with a bright blue high-backed swivel office chair.

"Do you like it?" Ichigo's voice broke through her mesmerized thoughts and she turned to him and caught him watching her anxiously. He had yet to set her down on her feet.

"It's absolutely gorgeous," She said, nodding eagerly and grinning like an idiot.

His expressioned easened and he grinned back. "I'm glad you like it. The bathroom has a very similar colorful scheme and a nice, big tub. I'll go fill it while you go find some clothes to wear. The closet is just through that door."

He lowered her on her feet and pointed to the door just beside the bookshelf. She gingerly walked to it, pushing the door open and only poking her head in first. Light instantly filled the room and displayed a long hall with racks and shelves on each side.

\- Is this a closet or another apartment? -

Only one of the bags Rukia packed was in there, still sitting unopened on the floor, and she bent down and dug out a pair of bright yellow, cotton boyleg panties and a t-shirt bra from the assortment of underwear she crammed together into the small, duffel bag. The rest of her clothes were probably delivered to Ichigo's bedroom but there were a few things hanging on the racks.

He was bending over, pouring some citrus-scented bubble bath into the tub that was quickly filling up, when she walked into the light, breezy bathroom that held the same bright, whimsical charm as the bedroom.

"Do you have most of my stuff?" She asked as she set down her clothes on a bright green armchair propped against one corner of the bathroom.

"Yeah, they're in my closet," he answered, his eyes flickering when they followed her hands up to the first clasped button that held the shirt over her breasts. "We can move them whenever you want."

She paused in awkwardly unbuttoning her shirt and raised a brow at him. "Are you going to stand there and watch me undress?"

He set the bottle of bubble bath bottle and straightened, grinning at her. "Actually, I would, if you don't mind too much."

"No way, you pervert," Rukia said with a firm shake of her head. "I'm not stripping naked in front of you. I can take it from here. You can wait outside or something."

"You need help getting into the tub," he insisted, coming to her and moving her hands away from the buttons to replace them with his. "Will you stop calling me pervert." He whined. "Besides, I've seen a female body before, Rukia. I won't drop in a dead faint."

She glared at him. "Thanks for the reminder, you insensitive jerk."

His hazel eyes sparkled with humor as he made quick work of unbuttoning her shirt all the way down. A strip of skin that ran between her breasts to her belly and stopped right above the waistband of her panties was exposed but Ichigo made no move to widen it.

"Jealous?" he asked, cocking his head to one side smugly. "Because I'll worship your body if you'll let me, you know? I'm not depriving you of anything you want."

Heat and color most likely suffused her cheeks, remembering their little tryst in the kitchen. She made a face at him. "How about I deprive you of your balls right now."

Ichigo threw his head back laughing before he picked her up in his arms. She had to clutch the front of the shirt to keep it from falling away and exposing her breasts to him.

"You're crazy, you know that?" he said as he lifted her over the tub and slowly settled her on her feet. Rukia shivered at the warm, sudsy feel of the water. "Now, once you've got your footing, I'll let you go and turn around so you can fully undress and get under the water."

She had no issues following Ichigo's instructions on this. He did more than prove she could trust him to a be a gentleman last night, despite his occasional, flirtatious teasings. No matter the circumstances of their first meeting, she instinctively trusted him now.

Once she was settled under the bubbly water, Ichigo left her to her privacy with the promise to come back in half an hour to help her out of the tub. He was right about the bath helping with her sore body.

She was nearly asleep when Ichigo knocked softly on the door. He was freshly showered, dressed in jeans and a light blue, button-down shirt, his orange, messy hair still damp. He offered her a big towel and turned his back while she wrapped it around herself. When she said she was ready, he picked her up and swung her out of the tub, setting her gently on her wet, dripping feet on the thick bath mat.

"I found your toiletries bag," he said, setting down a small, quilted drawstring bag on the vanity counter. "Anything else?"

She shook her head. "I think I've got it."

.

.

"Rangiku-san, I really think you should decide whether you want Gin or your career to be the love of your life because you only get to pick one, unfortunately. You can have both in your life but one has to be more important than the other or you'll never be able to prioritize."

"If Gin loves her, shouldn't he understand Rangiku's dreams and help her realize them?" Ichigo asked, pausing from typing and looking up from her laptop which he balanced between his knees. It was later that evening and they were stretched out on her bed, facing each other with her resting against the headboard and him sitting across from her.

"Gin has been with Rangiku-san for almost ten years but she's now at a point where she's no longer sure that Gin even knows she's there since all his attention is on becoming an even more successful," Rukia answered. "You can only take someone for granted for so long, you know?"

Ichigo pursed his lips in thought for a moment before shrugging. "I guess you have a point there. Alright. Sent. Moving on..." He rapped on the keyboard for a few seconds. "It's from Michiru. She says: Kuchiki-san, hi! Do you remember me, silly, shy michi from second grade? I heard the craziest news. You're marrying Ichigo Kurosaki? How did that happen? He's like a super-hot, hunky gazillionaire -," Ichigo looked up with a smug look. "I can see she's an extremely perceptive and honest girl and -"

"Ichigo!"

"Alright, alright!" He cleared his throat and started reading again. "I was so stunned when I found out because you always despised most rich people. Anyway, I wondered if your lightning-quick wedding is due to any bun already baking in your oven."

Rukia groaned. "Oh, no, Michiru. Not you too!"

Ichigo looked up with a frown. "Is that what everyone's speculating? That you must be pregnant if you're marrying me this quickly? I actually never thought about that until I heard people mention it."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Really? Didn't you think it was a little preposterous to get married in two weeks when we've never even been seen together before? You didn't consider the questions people would ask?"

He shrugged. "I normally don't wonder what people think of me. Not because I don't give a damn at all but just because it never comes up. People hardly tell me what they think of me unless it's flattering. Only you and my family and my asshole of a bestfriend fling my mistakes to my face."

"That explains the size of your ego," she said with a snort. "You don't have enough people telling you the truth when you're being an ass."

"Not that I like to be told that frequently," he replied, narrowing his eyes at her. "Whatever the reason is, I'm happy for you. I hope it works out. You're such a lucky girl," Ichigo read on. "By the way, I don't recall her very well but I'm pretty sure I saw your Mom a week ago. She looked about the same and her name's also Hisana but it's been so many years since I've seen her and -"

"Just reply to her: Thanks for the well wishes, mich, and no, I'm not pregnant. Please don't mention my mother. Thanks."

Ichigo pursed his lips as if deliberating. "Don't you want to at least know -"

"My mother is a closed subject, okay?" Rukia snapped, instantly regretting her sharp tone. Softly, she added, "She's been a closed subject for years and finding out things about her now does nothing for me. She's not part of my life anymore. What she does or doesn't do has nothing to do with me now."

He set aside the laptop. "It's just that I think -"

"Ichigo, please. Just drop it," she pleaded in earnest.

"I'm sorry, I won't mention her again," he said gently, picking up the ice pack. "I think it's time for bed," he said, switching her laptop to sleep mode. "Where do you want to sleep?

\- In your arms, forever. -

Rukia mentally kicked herself and gave Ichigo a light chuckle. "Here in my room, of course. We agreed to separate bedrooms, remember?"

"We did," he agreed slowly, his expression unreadable. "We agreed about two weeks ago, before a lot of things happened. It's your call."

As much as she itched to know exactly what he meant, she was afraid to ask because she didn't want to embarrass herself if it turned out that she was just being too creative with her interpretations.

"I'll be okay here," she said quietly, looking away. "Thanks for everything."

His lips pressed together into a tight line as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "Anytime, Rukia. Goodnight."

He quietly left and she immediately felt the loss.

\- Hmm. I should have said yes. -

* * *

me: whaddya guys think about this chap?

Thanks for your reviews guys. Check out your inbox for my replies.

Guest: Haha. Ichigo is always.

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Guest: LOL. Isn't it?

Guest: It's okay. Thanks.

Cc: Thank you. I think he's sweet towards Rukia only. Or not.

Sarah 1991: Thanks for waiting.

Guest: Oh, no worries. Constructive critism helps a lot.

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Han Ichiruki: I won't promise anything but I'll do my best. Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the favs: Ulquiorra9000 /WhiteEagle0 /akat24 /darisu-chan / tichnor6/ And to those of you following this fic too.

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

* * *

Chapter Eleven : Choose between a Chance at Love and a Million.

* * *

The day before the wedding was a crazy, splendid blur.

It started with waking up that morning and Ichigo made decent pancakes and cooked up some bacon and eggs. They sat around the breakfast bar in their pajamas and spent a good half hour just eating, talking and watching the news on the small TV mounted on the wall that the kitchen island was attached to on one end.

Inoue showed up with a to-do list longer than the train on Rukia's wedding gown. With just a day before the wedding, they had a lot to do. Rukia was still tired and aching but the painkillers helped and sheer will propelled her forward. Ichigo didn't look excited when she sat Inoue down and started to go over everything with her but he said nothing after she gave him a pointed look and just retreated into his office instead. Today was the first day of the time he took off work but that didn't mean he actually stopped working.

An hour later, the penthouse started to get more traffic.

The catering people came and set up a small buffet with Ikkaku managing the ins and outs of the different visitors and suppliers who came by. Yumichika arrived next with some final details about her wedding gown, her honeymoon clothes and the scandalous trousseau she was taking with her as well. Then Rangiku-san came next and she had a gazillion things to finalize with her about the wedding ceremony and reception details.

After they left, the rest of the Kurosaki's arrived for lunch. Karin came, looking in much better shape than when they saw each other last. She had a nasty bruise that was starting to go purple-yellow on her but she surprised Rukia when she insisted herself that she was fulfilling her bridesmaid's duties and attending the wedding despite her injury. Nelliel, who seemed to have patched up with her sister, had tears in her eyes when she gave Rukia a wordless hug and she understood everything Nel wanted to say to her. Grimmjow arrived shortly after the Kurosaki's left, holding a big arrangement of pink-tipped yellow roses.

"I left the car running too in case you decide to dump this loser guy and run off with me," he said with a wink and a malicious smirk. Ichigo had emerged from his office and was now boring a hole into his best friend's head as he glared.

Rukia laughed and took the flowers, smelling them for a moment. "Thank you, Grimm, but I'm afraid I can't run away with you. You see, Ichigo would just shatter to pieces if I abandoned him. He can't live without me. Right, darling?"

Ichigo turned his scowl to her which only amused her more."Sheesh, Kurosaki. I'm just teasing. Get back to your work. Grimm and I will just be out on the balcony catching up."

"Do you know that he once dated four girls at the same time in junior high?" Ichigo muttered, glancing at Grimm who was grinning broadly. "He only got caught because he returned one girl's sweater to a different one."

Rukia gave Grimmjow a look of mock-horror. "You're an unrepentant playboy, Mr. Jaegerjaques. How could a girl ever trust you?"

He shrugged. "They shouldn't because there's only one girl I care to convince to trust me and Kurosaki is just sabotaging it best he could."

"That's because she's mine," Ichigo growled at Grimm.

"Not officially until tomorrow," the latter countered with a shrug, glancing at his watch. "I have a little less than twelve hours to steal her away from you."

Rukia groaned, giving them both an exasperated smile and a shake of her head. "Will you two stop it? If you don't, I'll ditch you both and elope with someone else."

Grimmjow nodded, looping her arm through his and cocking his head smugly at Ichigo. "You heard her, Ichigo. Stop stewing about it. It's already bad enough that you have me to contend with. You don't need another man trying to steal her away as well."

She smacked Grimm's on the arm with the back of her hand, wincing slightly at the pain. "You're such a troublemaker, you know that? Stop taunting him."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "I can't. He's got the one thing I want."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "I have no problem tossing you out, Jaegerjaques."

"Don't worry about it, Ichigo," Rukia said with a sigh, steering Grimmjow toward the balcony before Ichigo could lunge for his throat. "I'll toss him out myself if he doesn't behave. He'll discover why I'm nicknamed the 'Nutcracker' at Urahara's."

Grimmjow actually looked horrified for a second and Ichigo just barked out a laugh.

"You're in for it now," He told Grimmjow, still chuckling as he went back to his office.

Grimmjow's momentary look of horror didn't last long though. He broke out into a smile and just shook his head at her. "You're a handful, you know that?" he mused as they walked toward the balcony. "You're a petite and pretty package of pure mischief."

She arched her brows at him. "Only old and boring people say that about the interesting ones, Grimm, and you're neither so I don't know what you're talking about."

They looked out to the majestic sprawl of skyscrapers and the bustling downtown. "I'm really glad to see you in better spirits, Ruks," Grimmjow said, his tone serious this time. "I couldn't say much that night because Ichigo was panicking enough for the both of us but I was so worried about you. I came yesterday morning but Ichigo said you were still resting. I thought I'd stay away for a day and let you recuperate."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, but as I've told Ichigo, I'm fine. I'm banged up a bit but it could've been worse. In no time, I'll be back to a hundred percent."

He pursed his lips as if deliberating whether to believe her or not. "You know, I agree with Ichigo that you're the type to downplay your suffering. You should let people worry about you—someone's got to do it. You don't worry about your own self enough."

"Because there's not a lot to worry about," Rukia said with a shrug. "While I would love for all of my dreams to come true, life doesn't have to be super-peachy for me to say that things are going well. As long as I've got a roof over my head, food in my stomach, and a steady job to pay the bills, I'm fine."

"I think you're going to get a little bit more than the basics marrying Ichigo," He said dryly, smirking. "Are you ready to be Mrs. Kurosaki?"

She winced. "I feel like I don't remember where and when I auditioned for the role. I feel like someone just grabbed me and pushed me out on stage with a script they expect me to have memorized."

Grimmjow reached forward and squeezed her hand. "Knowing you, you're probably going to just improvise your way through the entire script and come out more interesting and amusing than anything original they could've written."

They burst out laughing and she shook her head once their laughter subsided. "I don't know, Grimm. It's kind of terrifying sometimes when it occurs to me exactly what I'm signing up for."

"You won't, by any chance, consider to be Mrs. Jaegerjaques instead?" Grimmjow asked teasingly.

Rukia giggled but when she glanced at him, she caught the flash of longing in his eyes and her stomach knotted. She suddenly felt like she just pushed someone on the street and they got hit by a speeding car.

\- Ichigo's right. He really does want you, Rukia. How could you have not seen it? -

Her breath lodged somewhere in her throat as she struggled for something to say.

"Grimm, I..."

"Don't," he said with a weak smile, his expression almost embarrassed as if he knew that she finally realized the truth.

His blue eyes were sad and it ripped her heart. She clutched her hands into fists, fighting the frustration, and chewed on her bottom lip as she grasped for words that would never sufficiently say what she wanted to tell him.

\- How in the world did this happen? How can I be marrying a guy who didn't even want me in the first place while his best friend, on the other hand, just handed me his heart on a platter? -

"Grimm, I'm sorry," Rukia choked out, tears stinging her eyes. "I thought you were just kidding all this time."

Great. Best rejection line in the world. It belongs on a Hallmark card.

Grimmjow chuckled although she could tell that his heart wasn't in it. "I know. I didn't want to burden you with it. I shouldn't even be talking to you about this. You're marrying my best friend tomorrow, dammit. I should've just stayed away."

His distress felt like lead weight in her stomach. "B-but I... I mean, how?"

"How what?"

"How can you feel this way about me?" She blurted out indelicately and she almost shoved a fist into her mouth.

But Grimmjow just smiled and shook his head. "You ask me that question and you wonder why. I'm not exactly sure, Rukia Kuchiki. I have an idea but what good would it do to tell you now when you're about to become someone's wife in a matter of hours?"

\- Because even though I'm about to sign my name next to another man on a marriage certificate, I'd like to know that no matter how much of a crock I am, the real thing is possible for me, no matter how distant that possibility is. -

It was unfair, she knew, to confront Grimmjow with feelings he obviously didn't want to have if he could've avoided them, but a part of her hungered for any indication that she could deserve something as humbling and beautiful as someone's affection without doubting their motivation for it.

Rukia squeezed her eyes shut briefly, kneading the spot between her brows with her fingers. "You know what? You're right. It will do no good to tell me now. You don't have to. I'm sorry—"

"Would you believe me if I told you I fell in love with you at first sight?" he asked with a loud sigh as if he was resigned to tell her the truth anyway. He looked away and gazed into the distance. "Would that make me sound really pathetic?"

Rukia shook her head silently.

"I never thought it would happen to me, really, but I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you the first time I saw you come in through the door on the night of your engagement party. I didn't even know who you were or notice that you came in on Ichigo's arm," he said, his hand resting on the metal rail, gripping it tightly. "You looked like a night star in your sparkly dress and you had a beautiful smile on your face and there was mischief in your eyes and and you wore defiance like a crown, challenging anyone who would dare stand in your way. I felt quite light-headed then actually, as if someone spun me around for a while and I lost my bearings."

Rukia's heart squeezed painfully in her chest as she sucked in a breath and she knew that it had nothing to do with her injuries at all. He glanced at her and her face must've given something away because his expression softened and he smiled.

"You look like you don't hear this often," he said.

"Of course, I don't. Nobody goes around calling me a night star. I'm more like one of those neon glow sticks for ninety cents a piece—colorful, fun, cheap and resilient no matter how many drunk and party-crazed people toss it around or step on it on the floor filthy with all sorts of unidentifiable gunk."

Grimmjow threw his head back laughing and she instantly felt better to see a happier expression on his face. "You have to stop, Ruks," he said as his laughter subsided. He was still smiling but shaking his head. "You have to stop or I'll throw you over my shoulder and make a break for it before Ichigo can catch me."

She smiled weakly. "I really am sorry for putting you in this position. I didn't mean to hurt you. Believe it or not, you actually mean a lot to me even if you're a notorious heartbreaker."

He grinned. "As if you're not one yourself."

"Only on alternate Thursdays," Rukia said with a wink and he laughed again. Before she could think twice about it, she stepped forward and slipped her arms around him, hugging him close and pressing her cheek against his chest. He froze for a second before his own arms came around her.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, I hope you don't stop being my friend because of this," she said quietly, her words slightly muffled.

"I won't. I promise," he murmured, squeezing her a bit closer to him. "As much as I'd like to have what I want, I don't want to hurt you or Ichigo. I swore that the same night he introduced you to me and I realized that I couldn't resent either of your happiness."

\- If you only knew how one-sided that happiness is. -

Grimmjow pulled away slightly to look at her, his expression serious. "Let me warn you though. If Kurosaki screws this up with you, my courtesy is out the window. I'll do everything in my power to make you mine, Rukia Kuchiki."

She smirked. "What is it with men and pissing contests?"

He smiled. "Both, I believe, are said to be disgusting and completely barbaric. That's probably why they go together."

They laughed together and even after that, the silence was comfortable and full of warmth.

"I'll be gone to London after your wedding," he said after a long stretch of silence. "I might be gone for a while."

"As long as you promise to keep in touch," Rukia told him with a smile. "And bring me lots of English tea."

He smiled back wistfully at her. "I'll bring you whatever you want. Just tell me."

She touched his cheek. "Just bring back yourself when you can, Grimm. That's all I want."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "I promise, Rukia."

She turned and stared out to the horizon as Grimmjow quietly turned and left. Her eyes fluttered close and she lifted her face to the warm afternoon breeze, letting the sounds of the city drown out her own chaotic thoughts.

"That must've been quite a conversation."

She didn't open her eyes as Ichigo came up behind her, his arms slipping around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"It was," she answered quietly.

"Should I be worried?" he asked and although his question seemed casual, she could tell he was nervous—maybe because the muscles in his arms that held her close were taut as if they were set to lock her in at the first sign she was going to bolt.

Rukia sighed and opened her eyes. "Probably not."

He was silent for a while. "I'm not sure about that. On his way out, Grimmjow told me that I didn't deserve stars but that since they were in my sky, I should realize just how much they light up my life and do my best to keep them there."

She couldn't help a smile. "That guy must've been a poet in his past life."

"If he somehow thinks he can just—"

"Ichigo, don't," she interrupted, turning around in his embrace and pressing her fingers against his lips. "You have no idea how good a friend Grimmjow is to you, despite appearances."

His jaw clenched. "You're mine, Rukia. You know that."

\- I love the way you say that, but I know it's not for real. -

She gave him a wry smile. "There hasn't been a time that I was made more aware of that than I was five minutes ago. Trust me, it's very hard to forget. It's not every day a girl gets to choose between a chance at love and a million."

Ichigo looked truly angry now. "Don't get carried away with Grimmjow's romantic ideas."

"I'm not," she said with a long, resigned sigh. "Otherwise, I'd be running after him."

Ichigo's hazel eyes were burning and for a second, she worried that he'd be the one running after Grimmjow to pummel him to the ground.

She placed her hand on his chest. "Don't worry about it. I'm not the kind of girl Grimmjow deserves. I just let myself enjoy, even just for a minute, the thought that I could mean to someone that much. That someone could love me and not just merely consider me an obligation. It's nice, you know?"

And with that, Rukia turned and walked away.

.

.

Isshin had talked her into staying at his house with the girls so that she and Ichigo could prepare separately tomorrow and meet up at the church. It was some kind of wedding tradition apparently. If they knew the truth, Rukia and Ichigo could just hang out tonight, get dressed together tomorrow and show up on stage like a duo for their performance.

Grabbing her purse, Rukia shrugged on a blue-green cropped cardigan over her white tank top and her favorite baseball cap and made her way to the kitchen. She froze by the hallway when she heard Ichigo's agitated voice floating through his office door which had been left ajar.

"This is not a good time for this... We can talk when I get back...Riruka..."

Riruka.

He was talking to her.

Her heart pounding, Rukia forced one foot to move forward but she was having trouble. As much as she didn't want to be within earshot of Ichigo's intimate conversation with his on/off lover, she couldn't will herself to move.

"Of course, I'll stay with her..."

She heard him sigh out loud and Rukia pressed herself closer to the wall just inches away from the doorway, trying to catch more than just bits of his conversation.

"I know what I said... This isn't about you, Riruka... this is my decision..."

To be perfectly honest, whatever she heard didn't seem as bad as she feared. As broken up as those statements were that she could catch, it would seem like he was saying no to her. It should make her feel better that she didn't catch him longingly talking to the love of his life but for some reason, it made her panic all the more.

Before Rukia really knew what she was doing, she was riding the elevator down. Since she didn't really have any clear memory of arriving at the condo, she stood around the vast, hotel-like lobby after getting off the elevator until she figured out which end of the hall led to the main entrance.

"Can I help you, miss?"

A sharply-uniformed man standing behind the concierge counter furrowed his brows at her slightly as if he was trying to figure out who she was. Omaeda, could be read in his name tag.

Rukia smiled and held up her cell phone. "I'm good, thank you. Just calling a cab."

He looked even more puzzled by her response. "Uh, we can call one for you, if that's what you'd like. Is your driver indisposed? We have a car service available for all our residents. Do you, um... I mean, pardon me for asking but do you live here?"

\- Yes, I'll officially live here starting tomorrow. But only for a year. -

"I demand you let me in! I don't care what he says. I need to see him!"

She and Omaeda both glanced up at the source of the snappish command and the clinking of high heels on the marbled floor. Rukia noticed earlier that there was a tall woman talking on her phone in the other corner across from her but she had her back turned so she didn't pay her any attention. The woman was now marching up to the concierge desk, her familiar, breathtaking face set in a look of fierce determination.

It was Riruka Dokugamine.

She didn't seem to notice Rukia though. She was heading straight for poor Omaeda, her shoulders shaking with the effort of her stride, one hand clutching her cell phone and the other a fancy-looking, gold-embellished, black leather handbag.

Omaeda grimaced and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Ms. Dokugamine but if Mr. Kurosaki doesn't consent, I can't let you in."

"I can't believe this!" she exclaimed in frustration, pounding her clenched hand down on the counter. "You've never had a problem letting me in before. Do you know who I am? It's important that I see him. I have to talk to him tonight. It can't wait. He's getting... Oh! I hate this. He's getting..."

"Married tomorrow," Rukia finished before she realized she'd even spoken the words out loud. "I know."

Both Riruka and Omaeda turned to her and color drained from Riruka's face when recognition dawned in her eyes.

"You." Riruka's lyrical voice was dripping with disdain. "You're the little gold-digger who's swindling him!" she lashed out, practically jabbing a finger in Rukia's face.

Strangely, Rukia managed to smile sweetly at her. "Actually, I'd prefer fun-sized to little, financially self-advancing to gold-digger, and marrying up to swindling." Not really sure what spirit possessed her but when Riruka's eyes just widened unattractively in her face, Rukia smiled. "Nah, I'm just kidding. Yes, I'm Rukia Kuchiki—nice to meet you."

"You're Ruk—You're Mr. Kurosaki's fiancee?" Omaeda blurted out, looking completely bewildered as he darted glances back and forth between her and Riruka.

She flashed him a quirky smile. "Busted. It was fun while it lasted, Omaeda-san. Now, don't you just be nice to me because of Ichigo. I know I look like a homeless person and I appreciate that you didn't just toss me out the door."

She probably wasn't helping because the poor man's cheeks just turned beet red. "I'm sorry. I should've—"

She laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Sheesh. I was thanking you."

"Unbelievable," Riruka muttered under her breath, drawing Rukia's attention back to her.

"It looks like Ichigo isn't letting you in," She said with a shrug. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't let you either because I still technically don't live here yet."

Riruka's eyes narrowed. "Whether you do or not means nothing. Ichigo's will never bend to your will."

Rukia winced. "Which is unfortunate for you, then, because that means you can't come in even with an invitation from me, were I being civil to you. You can talk to him all you want but if he doesn't budge then you're out of luck."

"That's what you think," she said haughtily, straightening her shoulders. "Ichigo and I have an understanding and he cares about me. The arrival of a pesky nobody like you is immaterial."

Rukia's nose wrinkled. "How can an immaterial nobody be pesky? If I were really an immaterial nobody, you wouldn't consider me to be anything now, would you?"

\- I knew I was provoking her but I couldn't stop myself. -

Her eyes were flashing, her nostrils flared, and Rukia knew that Riruka was about to lose it right then and there.

"Look, before we get really nasty, could we move over to the side so poor Omaeda here could do his job and look a little less anxious?" She said, gesturing to the side of the grand foyer."I don't imagine he relishes the idea of having to break up a catfight."

"Catfight?" Riruka repeated, laughing throatily without humor. "I'm not a crass, juvenile sixteen-year-old. I have a lot more dignity than that."

Rukia cocked her head up at her, smiling faintly. "Then prove it because right now, storming up the concierge desk, tormenting Omaeda, throwing your weight around, and mouthing off at someone's fiancee you've never even met before just because Ichigo doesn't want to see you only makes you seem like a crass, juvenile adult."

Miraculously, something about what she said must've reached Riruka because her expression lost a bit of its contempt as if she'd caught herself. Omaeda shot her a look of gratitude as Riruka strode toward the lounge area.

"Look, I know the truth," Riruka said in a low voice, whirling around all of a sudden. "I know what Isshin made him do and that he picked you of all people. Ichigo told me all this when he suddenly had to put our relationship on hold. You can't blame me if I hate you."

"I don't," Rukia answered sincerely, despite the sting of Riruka's confession that she knew the truth. "Neither Ichigo nor I wanted this and I'm sorry if you're caught smack in the middle of it too."

Riruka was silent for a moment, studying her intently. "You mean it, don't you? That you didn't want this."

She shrugged. "I don't like complicating my life most of the time. This whole thing is a massive complication. I wouldn't have signed up for it."

Riruka looked like she was analyzing a mathematical theorem in her head.

"Listen, Riruka," she started, exhaling deeply. "I don't know what's going on between you and Ichigo but I'd really like to stay out of it."

"As if you could when you're the giant elephant in the room with us," she snapped irritably.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "First you call me little, then you call me a giant elephant. Which one is it?"

"It's not funny." Riruka Riruka gritted her teeth.

"I wasn't trying to be," she retorted and immediately sighed, regretting her continuing snarkiness. "I'm sorry. I'm just very tired. And I'm not feeling well. And I'm—"

"A giant pain in the ass."

She and Riruka looked up and saw Ichigo striding toward them, his face grim and his hazel eyes narrowed.

"Looks like you two really have something in common," Rukia muttered under her breath, glancing at Riruka whose entire expression changed into one of utter worship for a second before it faltered with unease.

"Ichigo, I—"

"I don't really want to hear it, Riruka," he interjected, shooting her a warning look.

Hurt flickered across her face and Rukia became irritated. "She came to see you, Ichigo. Even if you didn't want to see her, at least be nice about it!"

Riruka gasped, glancing at her.

Rukia gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It's me he's riled up about."

"You got that right," he grumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I went to start your sandwich and then when I looked for you, you were nowhere to be found. I thought of maybe a hundred different things that could've happened to you until I called the concierge and was told you were down here. Do you have any idea what you put me through?"

"Very little, I imagine, except that you're just overeager to worry and nag about me."

"That's because you don't always take your welfare into consideration so I have to do it for you," he countered.

"I didn't ask you to and you're certainly not obliged to volunteer," Rukia shot back. "You were in the middle of a phone call that sounded like something I didn't want to interrupt so I just decided to go. I was just heading over to Isshin's once I got a cab."

"A cab?" he repeated. "Why the hell would you take a cab over to my father's? After what happened to you, you're just going to jump into a random taxi on your own?"

"Not everyone is a criminal, Ichigo, and my life doesn't stop just because of one unfortunate incident. Did you think I was just going to cower behind Ikkaku-san and get driven around in an armored tank wherever I go?"

His jaw tightened in exasperation. "Don't be overdramatic, midget!"

"Don't be such a mother hen then, stupid !"

Both of them glared each other off for a moment before Ichigo's scowling mouth softened into a reluctant smile. Rukia smiled back.

And then Riruka cleared her throat. Ichigo closed his eyes briefly, as if just remembering the awkward trio they were making.

"Riruka, I'm sorry for my behavior but now is not really a good time," he said gently.

Riruka glanced between her and Ichigo, her face now inscrutable. "I can see that. I made a mistake coming here."

"No. It was nice to meet you at last," Rukia said, smiling brightly at her. "I actually heard a lot of great things about you. I admire the whole fair trade campaign you and your company advocate. You're a very astute and successful businesswoman and philanthropist. The whole Ichigo issue aside, I think you're a very admirable person."

"Thanks, Rukia, for talking like I'm not here," Ichigo muttered under his breath but she could tell he was somehow amused.

"Thank you, I guess," Riruka replied slowly as if long-ingrained good manners were prompting her along no matter how flummoxed she was about the situation. "I'm going,"

"Can we drop you off?" Rukia asked and Ichigo gave her a sideways glance.

Riruka shook her head. "No, thanks. I can just call my driver to come and get me."

So she'd sent her driver away. She was planning to stay for a good amount of time—probably overnight.

"It's not a problem dropping you off," Rukia said before swivelling over to Ichigo with a meaningful look slash deathly glare. "Right, Ichi?"

He opened his mouth, most likely to protest, but he wisely shut it and just nodded instead.

"Okay," Riruka finally said, squaring her shoulders and thrusting her chin up as her composure returned.

.

.

The drive from Ichigo's pricey condo building, was nothing short of awkward for the three of them. Seeing that she was dressed a little less nicely than Riruka, Rukia thought she should sit in the back but Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her and told her that she was to sit in the front seat. Because he could be dense and said it out loud, she felt more guilty about Riruka. The woman embarrassed beyond measure at that point, volunteered to sit in the back. To compromise, Rukia said she would sit in the back with Riruka too. Ichigo's expression kept getting grimmer and grimmer and he bit out that he wasn't a driver to sit up front alone. So Rukia said she'd drive and Riruka could sit up front with her and Ichigo could sit in the back. He said there was no way he was letting her drive since she didn't even have a license.

Before Rukia could suggest anything else, Ichigo leaned down and wrapped an arm around her thighs, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before dumping her in the front seat, strapping on her seatbelt and pressing his fob key to lock the door in place. Then he opened the door of the backseat for Riruka and helped her in without a trace of his uncivilized behavior with her.

\- Maybe I brought out the barbaric in him -

But she rested her case and just sulked in her seat as Ichigo drove off. Her midsection ached from when he thoughtlessly tossed her over his shoulder but it was nothing compared to her irritation.

Thankfully, Riruka's condo was only a few blocks away. It shortened the awkward silence in the car. As Ichigo pulled up in front of the entrance, Rukia slowly turned in her seat, to face Riruka who was unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Will you be alright?" She asked.

Riruka glanced at Ichigo briefly before gracing her with a faint smile and a quick nod. "Thank you for the ride home," she said politely.

Rukia grinned. "No problem. Have a good evening, Riruka."

She said nothing more before she slipped out of the car and hurried inside the building.

"She's very beautiful," Rukia remarked after a moment of silence passed as Ichigo pulled back out on the road.

"She is," he answered without glancing at her and it stung even though she knew that Ichigo was only confirming what she already said.

"I can see why you fell in love with her."

"I'm not in love with her," Ichigo said quietly, his eyes still focused on the road. "It was never like that with Riruka."

"What was it like then?"

He finally gave her a quick glance, his expression wryly amused. "We were friends. We were attracted to each other. Things were very casual at first but after a couple of months, I found it convenient when she suggested we saw each other exclusively. It was just easier to be with someone who knew exactly what I wanted and what I couldn't offer."

Rukia's jaw dropped. "You're saying you dated her because she was convenient?"

He winced at her tone. "We both found it convenient. I didn't pressure her for time or attention which she mostly pours into her career. I wasn't one of those whimpering idiots who kept following her around like dogs, asking her to get married and have babies. Riruka wants none of that. Our arrangement was just as convenient for her as it was convenient for me so don't make me out to be such a bad guy."

"A woman about to tear out her perfectly-pampered hair, falling apart in your main lobby, doesn't strike me as someone who only had convenience invested in your arrangement," she muttered, crossing her arms. "And seriously, how many women do you have arrangements with? Are you building yourself a harem or something?"

He laughed. "No. I barely have the energy or the sanity to keep up with you."

Her eyes narrowed, unconvinced. "I don't know about that. Riruka seemed expectant about getting entry into your condo earlier. She said the concierge never had a problem letting her in before." The implication dawned on her and she groaned out loud. "Oh, no. Don't tell me."

"I didn't have sex with her at my condo, Rukia, if that's what you're thinking. I told you before—I don't bring my romantic affairs home."

After a few minutes, they arrived at Isshin's place. Ichigo pulled over but didn't move out. "Did Riruka say anything unpleasant or offensive to you?" he asked, his tone more serious this time.

"Nothing I haven't heard before," Rukia said with a light shrug, turning her head back to face him.

His brows knitted with a frown. "I'm sorry."

Her mouth curled up into an ironic smile. "What are you apologizing for? Calling me the same things yourself the first time we met? Or that your girlfriend mouthed off at me too?"

His lips thinned into a line for a second. "Both. I'm sorry for the terrible things I said to you the first time we met. I wasn't myself at that time. And I'm sorry to have put you in this position with Riruka. I broke things off cleanly when I told her I had to get married."

"She knows the truth," She said slowly, lowering her eyes, feeling downright defeated.

Ichigo sighed and leaned back in his seat. "She knows most of it. I made the mistake of telling her when I tried to explain why I was breaking it off. I thought it would help her understand better."

"I'm pretty sure she loves you, Ichigo," she told him with a small smile. "It's not that big a revelation, really. She loves you and it hurts her to see you marry someone else—especially for the kind of reasons you have. It probably stings more for her to know that you're not standing up to your father and telling him that you're marrying her instead."

"It never once crossed my mind to marry her," he said, turning his palm up and catching her fingers with his. "I never imagined Riruka in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle, coming toward me, smiling so beautifully it made my chest hurt." Then he stared at her and smiled. " If I were fantasizing about you, you'd be striding down the aisle wearing sneakers with your wedding dress, taunting convention and tossing me a smartass grin," he said before they burst out laughing.

They had the sides of their heads pressed against the leather seats, their hands entwined, grinning and staring at each other while cocooned inside the car as the gentle summer rain stirred around them.

"I'll have the rest of your stuff brought over tonight," he said, rubbing the tip of his nose with her lightly. "And I'll see you tomorrow at the church aisle, Mrs. Kurosaki. Don't be late."

"I won't be," Rukia murmured, wrapping her arms gently around herself, fighting the shiver that had nothing to do with the cooler temperature.

\- Tomorrow, I'm marrying Ichigo Kurosaki. -

* * *

Me: Okay I admit, Grimmjow was a little ooc (just a tiiiiny bit). I remembered in the anime, when Ichigo and Riruka met for the first time. Riruka's reaction was like ~ he's soooooo hot!~ remember that?

So on. Again, what do you think about this chap? I mean all the scenes. Feel free to say anything. Don't hold back!


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the favs and follows everyone.

This chapter is dedicated to all anonymous reviewers: Sara1991/ Cc /Nolly/han-ichiruki and guests. Thank you for sticking with us since day one until now. And I wanna greet Gin a "Happy Birthday!"

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Black Sun and the White Moon

* * *

"You must be Ichigo's bride."

Rukia looked up and saw a tall, handsome man standing behind her from the view of the mirror. Rangiku paused in the middle of gathering the top half of her hair which she was going to pin together under a bejeweled comb.

"Rukia-san, this is Kaien Shiba," Inoue volunteered, rising from her chair where she was going over her checklist.

Rukia was still in her robe because the hair and make up alone took almost two hours. Yumichika-san and Rangiku-san were over at the corner where the dress and accessories were, making the final touches on them.

"Oh," she said, surprised.

Kaien Shiba was Ichigo's cousin—the same one his father threatened to give the CEO position to if he didn't marry her.

"I know I wasn't invited and I'm sure it had nothing to do with you," he said casually. "My cousin just doesn't like me."

She raised a brow, feeling instantly defensive of Ichigo. For some reason. "And I'm sure you know why."

His brows shot up in surprise for a moment but he just laughed. "Probably."

She could feel the others' eyes on her as they listened to the conversation while continuing with their tasks and she was careful not to let anything slip. Kaien was most likely unaware of Isshin ultimatum.

"What are you doing here?" Rukia asked. "You did admit you weren't invited."

"I didn't even know Ichigo was getting married," he said, pacing slowly behind her. "I was sitting in my office in London last week when I heard the news. I thought I won't miss a family occasion as big as this."

"Well, I don't want a fistfight at my wedding, if you don't mind, so if you want to attend, stay out Ichigo's way. You can't say I didn't warn you."

His eyes regarded her thoughtfully. "You're not exactly what I expected in Ichigo's bride."

"You and the rest of the world," she quipped.

"There you are, Kaien."

They glanced up, much to Yumichika's chagrin because her head moved again, and saw Isshin walking into the room in his dress pants and white silk shirt. "Yuzu said you just arrived."

"Uncle Isshin. Good to see you," Kaien said, clapping the old man in the back as he gave him a hug. " was just introducing myself to Ichigo's bride."

Isshin looked her way and she just smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'd watch myself around Rukia-chan, if I were you," Isshin said with a smirk. "She doesn't hesitate to introduce her foot to your intimate parts if you get on her bad side."

She snickered and she could feel everyone's amusement. Even Kaien smiled wryly.

"I always do well taking your advice," he conceded, glancing at her. "In which case, I'm going to make myself scarce now and maybe join you in your office instead of bothering the bride."

Once the two men had left, she asked Inoue again for a refresher on Kaien Shiba's profile.

He was currently running the operations for Kurosaki Industries in Europe. He was single, wealthy on his own and generally well-liked. Nothing about him struck her as particularly annoying. She wondered why Ichigo and Kaien didn't get along, since they have a lot of similarities.

An hour later, after the rest of the small wedding entourage arrived and everyone else had gotten ready, Rukia got into her wedding dress with the help of at least three people. Now that she was standing in front of a full-length mirror with her hair from the vintage pearl and diamond-studded comb that held it together, she could appreciate the sight fully.

She looked like a princess.

The dress was ivory-white with the silhouette of a ball gown. It was strapless with a softened sweetheart neckline. The bodice was snug around her breasts and waist, intricately clustered with white silk petals which looked like a spray of flowers that started to spread out down the full tulle skirt. Her ears were adorned with dainty pearl and diamond studs and her neck showcased the thin chain of pink and clear diamonds Ichigo had given to her on their engagement party, offering a light splash of color. Her face was fresh and dewy, a healthy, rosy flush suffusing her cheeks. Her lids were dusted with a pale, rose gold shadow, brightening her eyes. Her lips were plump and pinkened with a moist shade of raspberry.

"Wow," Rukia breathed in amazement as she did a slow turn, carefully balancing herself in the satin pumps that came with the dress.

"You look incredible Rukia-san," Inoue gushed, sniffling a little just as everyone chimed in.

"Absolutely beautiful."

"Mr. Kurosaki will be knocked off his feet."

"It looks magical on you, Ruks."

"Just stunning. You look—"

Yumichika's words were cut short when her cell phone blared with the chorus of Shaggy's Mr. Boombastic which was the ringtone she recently assigned to Ichigo's number. Everyone burst into fits of laughter and she grinned and held up a hand to hush them as she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Did Kaien come see you?" was Ichigo's immediate, grumpy greeting.

"Yeah," she answered. "He seemed harmless."

"Don't fall for it," he said shortly. "His charisma is his best weapon."

"Maybe you should ask to share. You clearly lack in that department."

"Be serious, Rukia," he said in exasperation. "I don't know what he's doing here but I don't want him to stir trouble. I don't want him talking you out of this."

"I'm in a freaking thirty-pound wedding dress, Ichigo, and I'm stiff from sitting through two and a half hours of hair and make-up," she replied dryly. "We're less than an hour away from the wedding. Do you think I'll change my mind at this point?"

"Oh," he said, sounding sheepish now. After a moment, he spoke again, this time with a hint of amusement. "Are you really dressed in your wedding gown?"

"Yes, in all fifty layers of it," She retorted, aware that the others were listening to the entertainment. "I'm practically holding myself up with just my toes because my heels feel like they're five feet high in the air in these towering shoes. I might a need a wheelchair tomorrow."

"Anyone marrying Mr. Kurosaki will need a wheelchair after her wedding night, if you know what I mean," Rangiku-san snickered beside her and everyone else giggled.

Her cheeks burned and she glared at them.

"Okay, I'll see you in church then," he said brightly before hanging up.

"What? He can't wait?" Yumichika asked with a teasing grin.

Rukia sighed. "He's just making sure I haven't run away yet which is why, if everyone's ready, we should probably get going."

Rukia rode in a gleaming white stretch limo with Isshin. The rest were in silver one behind them. There was security set in place around the wedding location to keep trespassers and the paparazzi from sneaking in. She'd promised to give them some pictures after the wedding but she wouldn't put it past them to try to snag some of their own. As the church came into view and she saw that the front yard was specked with guests in elegant dresses and tuxedos, her stomach twisted into nervous knots.

"It'll all be alright, Rukia-chan," Isshin reassured her, taking her hand and squeezing it.

She took a deep, shaky breath and a dose of fortitude. She was so nervous she forgot the discomfort around her ribs under the tight sheath of the bodice or the slight ache in her wrist from having clenched her hands together during the ride.

The wedding felt like she was in dreamscape.

Rukia remembered slipping out of the car, walking up the steps and standing by the church entrance, her vision slightly obscured by the light veil. There was slow music playing as she started to walk down the aisle on Isshin's arm, her eyes focused on the tall man in a light gray tuxedo standing by the altar next to Grimmjow.

Most of what she remembered of the ceremony was looking into Ichigo's smiling eyes and vaguely echoing their vows after the priest. The dreamlike daze only broke when Ichigo kissed her heartily in front of everyone at the priest's prompting, "You may now kiss the bride." Everyone applauded and they reluctantly pulled away, glancing at their audience and grinning sheepishly.

They were well and truly married and she was now Mrs. Rukia Kurosaki.

She glanced at her new husband as he started down the steps of the altar, still holding her left hand that now wore a wedding band that matched his.

"Come on," he said with quirky smile. "It's time to party."

The reception dinner was held in a large, old barn just behind the chapel. It had been converted into a beautiful, rustic dinner hall and Inoue had done an amazing job in even glamorizing it further with the elegant flower arrangements, vintage chandeliers and many old-fashioned touches. The guests were already seated and served drinks and canapes when they arrived. They were announced along with the small entourage before we settled in their seats by the long table at one end of the room just across the dance floor from the guests.

Before dinner was served, Isshin stood to say a few words.

"My speech will be short and sweet because there aren't enough words to express how happy I am to see two very important people to me find each other and start a life together as husband and wife," he said, smiling in their direction. "Congratulations to my son Ichigo and Rukia-chan who despite the odds made it here today, but remember kids, this isn't the destination—this is the starting line and you have a long way to go. Make the most of the journey, help each other up when you stumble and fall, have fun while you're at it, and keep in mind that wherever it leads, your destination is each other and wherever your hearts take you."

Rukia blinked back tears, deeply touched by Isshin's words and Ichigo leaned down and cupped it with his hand, his thumb brushing her skin gently.

"Hey, don't cry," he murmured with a smile. "It's a happy day."

"Your father is such a sappy romantic, I swear," she murmured back with a choked laugh that she smothered quickly.

Once Isshin was seated, Grimmjow rose to his feet, magnificent in his black tux, smiling and holding up his champagne glass. Her heart squeezed when their eyes met but his smile was sincere and bright.

"This is usually when I start poking fun at the groom to make for an entertaining best man's toast but I think Rukia does enough of that to Ichigo already that I decided to spare him tonight."

Several people laughed and Grimmjow winked at them.

"Instead of making the bride doubt the wisdom of her decision to marry Ichigo after I've told enough of his past antics, I've decided to assure her of why she's one of the luckiest women in the world instead."

Ichigo's hold on her hand tightened and she glanced at him to see the serious expression on his face as he listened to his best friend.

"Ichigo Kurosaki is a good man although a little serious, a bit workaholic, horribly unattractive—" Everyone cracked up. "—and sometimes overbearing when he's convinced he's only looking after your welfare. Not everyone can appreciate that about him until you become the center of his attention—and you'll realize how incredibly lucky you are to have someone care for you that much. I say that and I'm just his best friend. You, Rukia, are his bride, his wife." He swivelled his gaze to Ichigo and gave him a smile. "Hey, you have an amazingly beautiful and wonderful woman by your side. Rukia is that rare treasure you find where you least expect it and whose worth is immeasurable in this material world. Do your damn best to make her happy and love her as she deserves."

Tears were now spilling down her cheeks and she brushed them away with trembling fingers.

"I don't care if people thought you're too different to be with each other— height included." some laughs while Rukia glared. "Or that you're from two different worlds," Grimmjow continued. "It's hard to miss what's there for everyone to see—that you two are kindred souls and that wherever you go and whether you happen to meet now or later in life, you will always recognize each other. Your hearts would know." He smiled. "You both are like the black sun and the white moon, that belonged with each other." He finally raised his glass, his blue eyes bright with emotion. "To Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki, now Kurosaki and your incredible love story."

Ichigo and Rukia raised their glasses along with everyone in a toast.

.

.

As dinner came to an end, Inoue came over to cue them that she'd be announcing the bride and groom's first dance.

Rukia groaned softly, muttering to Ichigo under her breath. "Damn. Ichigo, do your best to hold me up, okay? My shoes are killing me and I'm likely to fall flat on my face."

He grinned. "I predicted that and decided to be proactive."

Her brows scrunched up together when he suddenly knelt down and crawled under the table, slipping under the elaborate table cloth. She felt him sift through the heavy layers of her skirt until he grasped her feet, slowly slipping off her shoes and rubbing her poor, aching toes soothingly. Then she felt him slip ankle socks over her bare feet. Making sure that the attention wasn't on them at the moment, she peered under the table and saw him slipping her red sneakers over her feet.

Her heart clenched. "You brought my sneakers?"

He tilted his head up at her. "I had them waiting under the table in case you needed them."

She couldn't help the ridiculous grin that broke into her face. "Ichigo Kurosaki, I really feel like the luckiest woman in the world right now."

He rose to his feet just as Inoue made the announcement, straightening his suit and offering her a hand. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Kurosaki?"

She placed her hand over his and beamed at him. "Lead the way, Mr. Kurosaki."

They danced—more like glided around the dance floor.

Rukia never felt better than she did that night.

In a moment of sheer clarity, she knew, without a doubt, that she was never going to be the same again, and she was perfectly alright with that.

.

.

If anyone asked Rukia about her wedding night, she really wouldn't know how to answer. It was... not exactly what she had in mind.

First of all, she was wiped out.

The adrenaline kept her going but it ran low after having danced half a dozen songs with Ichigo, a couple with Grimmjow, one with Isshin, and a collective number with her bridesmaids and other younger female guests when the band broke out their more upbeat songs that were local favorites.

All this after three hours of marriage.

The adrenaline couldn't last all the way to the end of the party though. Rukia was tired, drowsy from the pills she popped after a couple of dances, and her midsection was screaming from the strenuous activities of the evening. Ichigo decided it was time to go. She was too tired to protest when he scooped her up in his arms but as he started to cross the dance floor, people turned their way and he stopped, caught off guard. She tried not to giggle when she saw his cheeks flush as he cleared his throat and flashed everyone a crooked smile.

"I guess it wouldn't do for me to just steal my new bride away into the night," he said, eliciting several chuckles from the remaining guests.

"If you never see or hear from me again, look for a freshly landscaped flower bed at his house," she joked, clinging to his neck, and laughter gurgled from her throat when Ichigo looked at her with a horrified expression. She turned back to the guests and shook her head. "No, no. He doesn't even have a house. I'm just kidding. If I die tonight, it'll be from pleasure, I'm told."

When his jaw just dropped open in complete disbelief as everyone erupted into laughter around them, Rukia shrugged what she could of her shoulders. "What? That's what Rangiku-san told me."

"You are drunk, Mrs. Kurosaki," he said, finally recovering and failing miserably in fighting a grin.

"And you are starting to blur," she quipped, burrowing her cheek against his chest.

He sighed. "I did my best to make sure they didn't ply you with wine."

"I had a teensy bit," she said, squinting one eye at the space she was indicating between her forefinger and thumb although that blurred quite a bit too. "I think Nelliel gave me some. She said it made vixens out of virgins, whatever that means."

"Oh, God," Ichigo said with a low groan. "We have to go. Now."

He rambled something off to their captivated audience before she got jostled around in his arms as he practically ran out the door to where the limo was waiting. Even the spacious sitting area in the stretch limo proved cozy with the voluminous skirt of her wedding dress but Ichigo didn't seem to care as he slid in and settled her on his lap.

"How are you feeling?" Ichigo asked as the limo started to go, the light dimming in the back seat and the panel that provided them privacy from the chauffeur sliding up in place.

"Tired and aching," she answered, leaning her head against his shoulder. "And as stiff as beef jerky."

A brief shudder vibrated through Ichigo and she could hear him chuckling. "Nothing sexier than a wife feeling like beef jerky on your wedding night."

\- Wife. Holy crap. We really did it. -

The truth hit her again, the slight fog of alcohol and painkillers doing nothing to cushion its impact. Rukia was sitting cradled on her husband's lap in the backseat of a limo, on their way to spend their wedding night together.

A very different ache shot through her.

With the flurry of activities that happened in the last couple of days, the thought of her wedding night with Ichigo didn't really register.

\- Not that it should've. Your original agreement still stands. You're not having sex with him. -

If only she didn't feel like crawling up on her knees and straddling his lap right now, suddenly desperate to get as close to him as she could without the layers of tulle and silk between them. She wanted to feel the warm, smooth glide of his skin on his muscled shoulders and chest, the weight of his tall, broad form over her body, and that intimate invasion that would leave her no doubt she was completely and irrevocably his.

Rukia bit the inside of her cheek to jerk her thoughts back to reality—her reality—where she didn't have those kinds of privileges.

If Ichigo had the slightest idea of her carnal thoughts, he didn't show. He had a soft smile on his face, his hazel eyes luminous every time the light of the street lamps caught them in a certain angle.

"Why are you suddenly so quiet?" he prompted.

"It's not every day a girl finds herself married. Give me some time to recuperate."

His brows furrowed. "You make it sound like a blasted disease."

"Only if you're married to the wrong guy," she said with a laugh. "Whether you are or not is still up for debate."

A fierce light entered his eyes, his arms tightening around her hips. "You'll never find a more generous, protective husband, Rukia. I won't be perfect but don't ever doubt that I'll take care of you."

Rukia was tempted to say something sardonic because the very core of their marriage was a lie which therefore exempted him from the usual expectations of husbands but the intensity in his expression stopped her.

He meant what he said and although she should take it with a grain of salt, she couldn't help the sudden pounding of her heart. He wasn't the only one with obligations in this marriage—she did too and she wanted to give him as much as he wanted to give her. She would give more but she's worried that she would pay a price too high for the both of them.

"But will you let me take care of you too?" Rukia asked, "I will be far from the perfect wife you first required—and I know you know this—but I can take care of you, Ichigo. I can look after you, keep you company, smack you silly when you're being too serious, bake you cookies—I can do these things for you if you'll let me."

His mouth softened into a slow, sexy smile. "Have I been stopping you at all, Rukia?"

She scrunched up her nose in mock-serious deliberation of his question. "Hmm... Just the smacking you silly part, I think. You don't let me do it often enough."

He grinned. "I'm saving that for when I really deserve it—which I hope wouldn't be often."

"If smacking is all you think you're in for when you really do something stupid, then I feel bad for you," she said with a devilish smile. "I had a girl-to-girl talk with the others before the wedding, you know? Rangiku-san told me to punish with pleasure and not pain. It's a much more effective torture."

Ichigo groaned, running a hand down his face. "What has she been telling you? Every time you say something that makes me choke on my own tongue, it's usually something you picked up from her."

She rolled her eyes. "Ichigo, I have no mother figure. I'll take whatever advice people volunteer to me—except maybe the whole handcuffs thing—and since most of the girls in my current inner circle are either related to you by blood, or single and not at all slutty, only Rangiku-san's advice has been available for my reference. It's not my fault she's particularly kinky."

Ichigo looked up heavenward as if he were in pain and meditating for some cure. "The last thing I want to imagine on our wedding night is someone else's kinky sex life."

"Would you rather think about our sex life, kinky or otherwise?"

Ichigo's eyes flickered in the shadows. "I don't know that I'd rather when I already think about it all the time."

"You do?" Her voice came out as a squeak.

He gave her an are-you-serious look. "I'm a healthy male in my prime constantly teased by a young, perfectly-formed woman with kisses for drugs and artless seduction for sport. I'd have to be a stone statue not to be affected."

A giddy shiver went down her spine at his words. "Hmm, let me see," she said, reaching up and pressing her fingers along the rigid lines of his shoulders and arms. "You could be a stone statue. You're rock hard."

His eyes glinted with dark, teasing humor. "Oh, I am."

He shifted his thighs under her and Rukia instantly realized her error.

His shoulders and arms weren't the only hard parts on him. Despite the volume of her skirt, she could feel his unabashed interest. Heat bloomed on her cheeks and she buried her face in her hands, taking care not to move an inch.

"Ichigo, get that thing out from under me!"

"Unfortunately, sweetheart, it's attached to my body," he replied in amusement.

She snapped her head back up to glare at him. "Do you want me to detach it then? I just might because I don't relish being the bun to your bratwurst!"

Ichigo tossed his head back and laughed out loud, his shoulders and chest shaking from it. She was beyond mortified now and she tried sliding herself off forward but the weight of her skirt kept her in place—that and the circle of Ichigo's arms around her hips. Rukia tried to shift backward, not caring whether she would land on her back and swing her feet up toward the ceiling of the car but there was enough friction between her skirt and Ichigo's dress pants to keep her from sliding down and off his lap completely.

All the while, Rukia bore the unmistakable bulge between his legs with gritted teeth. It seemed to have become more pronounced with her efforts until Ichigo finally groaned.

"If you're trying to grind it off me, it's not going to work," he said in a hoarse voice, raising his legs up on his toes to tumble the rest of her weight from where she sat close to his knees to the dip that his hips and raised thighs now made.

She squeezed her eyes shut desperately. "Ichigo. I can't. We can't."

"You know I want you," he murmured, his lips grazing the outer shell of her ear, his breath warm and feather-like against her skin. "I said out loud what I wanted that day we met at my father's house after the engagement party."

\- Oh, yes. Live like a real married couple for a year. Fully exercise your marital privileges. Sleep together. Get exclusive. And then once everything's going well and we're perfectly happy with the way things are, hand me my last check, sign our divorce papers, and out the door I go. -

She felt a rush of despair all of a sudden. She shook her head sadly and gave him a tight smile. "I'd like that—share my husband's bed, make love, talk and laugh and cuddle after, fall asleep in each other's arms."

His brows shot up. "You would?"

Rukia nodded slowly, looking down to avoid his eyes. "Yes, I would. I'd like to do all of that with my husband—my real one—and not the one I'm getting paid a million dollars to marry."

The backseat suddenly became filled with absolute silence that not even the traffic outside could penetrate.

After an eternity passed, Ichigo released a long, shaky breath. When he spoke, he sounded deflated. "I won't resent your wish for the ideal, Rukia, because you absolutely deserve it, but it frustrates me and that's not your fault."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, peeking at him from under her lashes.

"Don't be," he said gently. "I know that whatever I signed up for the first time and what I've started to want lately aren't the same things."

"This lie is a living thing and it's going to get bigger and bigger until neither of us can see the truth anymore."

His hand came up to cradle the back of her head as he gently urged it down against his shoulder, her forehead pressing against the crook of his neck. "Maybe the lie will evolve into the truth and then it won't matter what was there before it."

Rukia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, burrowing her nose against the skin of his neck where she could smell his mild, clean scent.

\- Yes, but that just because you can't see the truth in the shadows, it doesn't mean it's not there. Can something really be beautiful between the two of them when it's marred by a dirty little secret? -

"We're almost home," Ichigo murmured against her forehead, his arms tightening around her and his hand stroking up and down her bare arm in a soothing pattern that eased the adrenaline off her body. "Rest for a little bit. I'll carry you up."

"Carrying your bride over the threshold," Rukia said with a smirk, her eyes drifting close. "What a typical groom you are."

She could neither see nor hear it but she knew he was smiling as he said, "Where you're concerned, Rukia, nothing I do anymore is typical."

She smiled, giddy at the thought somehow, and promptly dozed off.

.

.

Rukia stirred later when Ichigo eased out of the car, holding her in his arms. The exhaustion and the meds had definitely taken over and she felt very lethargic and a little bit out of it—okay, a lot out of it.

"Dammit," Ichigo muttered under his breath as his arms tightened around her as if they would sufficiently conceal her from the small mob of paps waiting for them in the shadows. She lifted her head head, squinted her eyes against the light and saw two men snapping their cameras at them as fast as they could before Ichigo's chauffeur/bodyguard, Kenpachi, who was now striding in their direction, could reach them.

"They probably think we're going to have a typical wedding night," She murmured just as Ichigo dashed into the elevator. "Rangiku-san said that since I was marrying you, I'd need a wheelchair tomorrow."

Ichigo faltered at her statement and his arms gave a little just as the elevator started its smooth, well-oiled ascent. "Rangiku-san's going to have to stop having these inappropriate conversations with you," he said with a loud sigh.

"She's just trying to help," Rukia said before she gave a big, loud yawn, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth. "They're all just trying to help. A virgin needs education."

She wasn't sure how long Ichigo stood there but she eventually heard the soft glide of the elevator doors opening. Why he was standing there, she wasn't sure. She peeled her eyes open to look at him.

He was gazing down at her, his eyes hooded and his expression inscrutable

"Are we playing elevator bingo or something?" She asked when he still didn't budge.

The elevator doors started close but Ichigo thrust a hand out to open them back again. "You're a virgin?" he finally said, his tone incredulous. "What do you mean you're a virgin?"

Rukia wasn't sure why she blurted that out. A tiny bit of alcohol mixed with painkillers did not make a good combination. She wouldn't recommend it to anyone. She shouldn't have taken the damn wine Nelliel offered.

She blew out a breath. "I think it means, medically speaking, that I have never engaged in sexual intercourse resulting to my hymen being intact—"

"Dammit, Rukia!"

His disbelieving exclamation seemed to have prompted his legs to get moving because in a matter of seconds, he was striding into the penthouse.

"I'm pretty sure I already said something about being a virgin and all that before," she muttered under her breath.

"Sometimes, I can't tell if you're just being a tease."

"Ah, well. I am that too, much to many men's frustration," she confirmed with a smirk.

"Not only are you a threat to men's mental health," he grumbled. "You're also going to seriously damage a part of their anatomy from extreme frustration."

"What part?" She asked, frowning. "Oh. That part."

He deposited her unceremoniously on the bed in his room and she moaned loudly at the delicious feel of the soft, bouncy covers as soon as she let herself fall back and sink into the clean, luxurious sheets.

"Rukia, if you want to stay a virgin for tonight. Stop making those sounds."

"What sounds?"

"Why do I bother?" he muttered to himself as he hunched down on his knees, his hands pushing the heavy hem of her skirt up to hold her feet as he pulled her sneakers and socks off. "Never mind."

Despite the protest of her weary, aching body, she propped herself up on her elbows to glare at him. "I told you I was a virgin and a tease—not deaf. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing you don't already know," he said through clenched teeth.

Through the haze, she got a vague idea of his grumpy mood, Rukia think, which was a feat considering how foggy her head was. It was both their wedding night and they wanted the same thing but they each had different reasons for not going after it.

"Ichigo," she said softly, reaching out to stay his hand which had just pulled off the last sock she had on. "You can go. I don't want to torture you any more than I want to torture myself."

That line may have given away more than she'd like but it was too late to take it back now. Besides, she wanted him to know he wasn't the only one having a difficult time with this. Rukia owed him at least that.

He looked up, stormy hazel eyes searching hers. "I'll be alright."

"I'm not intentionally trying to tease you, you know? Not tonight, anyway."

A half-smile curved on his mouth as he rose to his feet. "I know. Come on. Get up so I can help you out of your dress."

\- Then what? You'll help me out of everything else until I'm completely naked and stripped of my defenses? We'll end up in bed together, doing more than sleep, before I could finish reciting my new full name. -

"Don't worry. I'll manage it," she assured him as she struggled to sit up properly so she could slide down the bed.

Rukia winced at the jab on her midsection but she had gotten so used to it the pain seemed almost normal to her now and she just kept going.

"And how exactly do you plan to get out of it when it required an entire assembly of people to get you in the first time?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Only because we didn't want to wrinkle or snag it," she snapped, reaching around the bodice to see if she could reach where the pearl buttons were at. "Not that I want to wrinkle or snag it now. I want to keep this and give it to my daughter someday."

She realized what she said and she paused, looking up at Ichigo who was standing back and watching her struggle.

"That is if I get to keep this dress," she said slowly, her cheeks warming up.

Ichigo eyes glinted with a fleeting, unidentifiable emotion before he sat down on the bed and turned her around slowly so he could access the fastenings on the back of the gown. "Of course, you'll keep the dress. And I'm sure your daughter will be very pretty in it. She'll have light orange hair, flashing amethyst colored eyes, and the same spunky tilt to her chin as you do."

"Light orange hair?" She repeated, looking up to the ceiling. "What makes you think she won't have black hair like mine?"

"Just because," he said noncommittally.

This was a very dangerous conversation. It was dangerous because she knew exactly the shade of hair she was imagining her daughter to have. It was already bad enough that Ichigo was undressing her on their wedding night (even though he'd done the same very easily in the last couple of days) but something about tonight just seemed all symbolic. The last thing she wanted them to talk about were their amethyst-eyed and hazel-eyed children with their assortment of dark and orange mops for hair.

"Sometime before three in the morning, I'd like to get out of this dress," she muttered, changing the topic. "For someone with claims to expertise in efficiently getting women out of their clothes, you're remarkably slow."

Ichigo snorted. "Well, I've never tried to ravish a woman in her wedding dress before. I usually try not to usurp the groom's place on his wedding night."

"How gallant of you, Ichigo, to at least until the woman's honeymoon is over."

"I don't sleep with married women, Rukia," he said, a smirk in his voice. "Why would I take unnecessary risks with women who have husbands who might want to shoot my head off when there are plenty of young, single women out there who would do just fine?"

Her cheeks flamed and she was angry all of a sudden. She started out poking fun at him and now he had the upper-hand, that sly beast!

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. You like them young," she scoffed. "Young like Ms. Senna who's only about a year older than I am. Heard you two got hot and heavy on a ski trip last year." Before he could answer, she rambled on, too annoyed now to back off. "Did you find the mythical treasure down her esophagus, my intrepid explorer? Men have tried and failed, you know? Others have died during the expedition—mostly from asphyxia and the lost Altoids she still can't find to this day. She had been repeatedly told not to roll them around her mouth during the blow jobs she was rumored to be giving away like gift bags in the back of the school gym but apparently, she likes them minty."

"I could spend the next ten minutes convincing you that nothing happened with her beyond a kiss she'd initiated," Ichigo said with a sigh. "That I have no interest in Senna or any of my sisters' friends. In the end, the answer is whatever you choose to believe in."

Suddenly, the bodice of her dress loosened and started to fall away from her body. Ichigo rose to his feet and she saw his hands slip around her waist to grasp the top of the skirt and slowly and carefully ease it down to the floor until she could step out of it.

His head was bent down but Rukia could hear the hiss of his breath.

She shivered at the sudden coolness that kissed her exposed skin. Much of it was revealed by the white lace bustier she was wearing paired with matching lace panties with a narrow silk patch that hid her intimate parts. She had opted out of the white sheer stockings that would've rolled up to the top of her thighs and clipped to the garter straps. It was the height of summer and she hadn't wanted to further stew under the layers of fabric under her dress.

Ichigo slowly unfolded his form from his crouching position as she stepped out of the dress, his eyes glowing with fierce wanting. He took a step toward her, his gaze touching her all over like a caress, his breath coming out choppy with what she could tell was clearly an effort at restraint, based on how the crotch of his dress pants quickly filled out.

"You're like a battering ram."

Her head whipped up sharply. "Excuse me?"

He smiled softly. "You're devastation I could see coming from a mile away—nothing subtle or too complicated—and one that I can barely avoid if I stand too close. One that will relentlessly beat down the doors until they break down. One that will knock the air out of me the first time it catches me off guard. One that will do me in for good if I don't get out the hell out of the way."

Rukia blinked up at him, unable to believe her ears. "You're comparing me to a battering ram?"

His eyes lit up with mischief. "Only your effect to me. Why, it's not romantic enough?"

Her fists clenched at her sides. "Have you been living under a rock? Where did you ever hear of a battering ram being romantic?"

He winced. "Okay. Let me try again."

She waited, glaring at him.

"You're like an asteroid crash."

\- Well, this just keeps getting better and better. You're not too far down the list from the plague—the kind that kills firstborns and wipes out civilizations. -

"You hurtle through space, heading straight for earth, completely unexpected and completely unavoidable. Before the earth is hit and the lives of everyone in it change, people hold their breaths and watch your spectacular descent with a mixture of awe and trepidation because they have never seen something like you before and they're not sure whether or not they'll survive your impact."

Her jaw must've dropped a while back but no sound had come out of her mouth. Ichigo grinned and brushed her lower lip with his thumb, prompting her to purse her lips close. Before she could say anything though, he leaned in and kissed her softly, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her closer against him. Her hands tugged at the lapels of his suit and he released her briefly to shrug it off, grabbing her by the arms right away as if he feared she would bolt.

"Rukia," Ichigo breathed softly, his hands spanning her waist as his lips grazed the line of her jaw, stopping at the base of her ear where he flicked his tongue against the sensitive spot there. Rukia shuddered in his embrace, a delicious ache being injected into her body which writhed and demanded for some kind of relief.

Grabbing his shirt, she yanked at the buttons as best as she could without ripping the whole thing off, and Ichigo's own hands joined hers to speed up the process of stripping him bare. It might have only taken seconds but by the time her back pressed against the soft, luxurious sheets, it seemed like it had taken a lifetime to get there. His large, warm hands molded around the swell of her breasts, gently squeezing as his mouth returned to hers, taking as much as he was giving her.

Her hands glided slowly along his bare shoulder blades, her bent legs parting to let him in between them, her toes digging into the soft bed as his hips pressed against hers, his erection more insistent against the the silky fabric of his pants. It reminded her of exactly the kind of path they were leading down.

\- No. This is wrong. Stop. -

How, when she, herself wanted this.

She arched her back when he nipped her jaw all of a sudden and his hands didn't miss a beat in sliding down and searching for the fastenings of her bustier. As the lingerie loosened bit by bit, Ichigo's mouth followed the trail of newly exposed skin until the heavy globes of her breasts were freed up from the constraints of the thinly lined lace cups.

"Damn, Rukia," came his ragged whisper as he lifted off the bed to gaze down at her body which was now only covered by a thin scrap of white silk and lace between her legs. His eyes were nearly molten with lust—fiery amber shards in the dim light of the room.

Ichigo Kurosaki was magnificent.

Beautiful was too soft a word and there was nothing soft in the rigid planes of his upper torso where each muscle was carved out perfectly. She watched as he tore off his pants, her eyes following the sculpted waist rippling with muscle that tapered into narrow hips and long, powerful legs with a dusting of soft, dark hair. When her eyes finally focused on what stood proudly between his legs, her throat went dry and the sudden pounding of her heart filled her ears. Ichigo Kurosaki was incredibly well-hung. Either that or she had magnifying glasses for eyes.

"You're making me crazy with want Rukia," he murmured, kissing the space between her brows, each of her cheeks, the tip of her nose and the point on her chin. "I want you."

His fingers hooked on the garter of her panties and started to slowly ease them down her hips.

"Stop."

Ichigo's hand stilled their movements.

She held his gaze, much more determined this time. "I'm sorry but it just feels wrong."

Ichigo's eyes softened, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, he moved away from her. " No. I'm sorry, I forgot for a second there, that you're not really mine."

Rukia was about to reply when the phone rang.

* * *

me: Hi guys! This chapter was edited last night. I read your reviews once again and got lots of idea, so thank you for sharing your thoughts guys, it really helped especially when you're out of words to write. :)

Wow! We got 200 reviews, can't wait to tell Ninya about it!

This is amazing! You know, personally I read EVERY single review, more than once actually, it gives me some sort of happiness that I can't even explain LOL.

Thanks so much for the awesome reviews and comments last chapter guys! No replies for today but I hope you enjoyed reading this chap!

RukiYuki / JoTerry / Amethys thazel / achalida / kidzin / Ichiruki4vr / anonymous2234 / applepieshiomai / blissbeat / mbravesgirl / shirayukideathberry / sarah1991 / Cc and to all guests reviewers as well

And I wanna welcome our new readers: Jobananasan/ZIA227 and Insomiac970.


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks for the favs. And to the new followers of this fic too.

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: The Beauty and Evil of Choices.

* * *

"Do you have more quarters?" Rukia asked Grimmjow as she patted the pockets of her jeans for any more change.

Grimmjow searched the breast pocket of his button-up shirt and handed her a few of them. "You'd think most places now just take credit cards."

She slipped the coins into the slot and made the coffee selection. It was lukewarm at best but it would do for now. She fought a yawn as they stood and watched coffee drip into the styro cup, downing a big gulp of her own cappuccino when her eyes started to feel heavy again.

"You alright?" Grimmjow asked as he ripped open a packet of sugar to stir into his coffee. "It's five in the morning the day after your wedding. I don't imagine you've slept a wink."

Her cheeks flushed at the reminder of just how close she and Ichigo came to consummating their marriage earlier, seconds before the phone started to ring off the hook. It had been Yuzu calling with the news that Isshin had a heart attack after getting home from the wedding. She and Ichigo had scrambled to get dressed and drive to the hospital. They'd arrived in the waiting room where the Kurosaki sisters, Kaien and Grimmjow were all restlessly sitting around. Most of them had already changed from their wedding outfits but they all wore matching weary looks.

Not wanting to intrude, Rukia sat with the rest while Ichigo went and talked to one of Isshin's several attending physicians. She tried not to fear for Isshin but it was hard to ignore everyone's worried expression—that of her husband's especially as he paced with a grim look on his face and panic in his eyes.

From the bits and pieces she heard from doctor's discussion with Ichigo and from what the others have told me, Rukia learned that Isshin had been diagnosed with unstable angina almost two years ago. It meant that one or more of his coronary arteries had become blocked or narrowed which limited the flow of blood to his heart. It increased his risk of a heart attack and since it was the unstable type, it could trigger an attack with or without strenuous activity which was why Isshin had eased off from working and had been trying to live and eat better. While one could live with it through medication and a healthier lifestyle, all it would take was one attack that could result to death.

\- Damn him. I didn't think he was serious about dying. -

Sure, he didn't really have a timeline for how long he had left to live but he acted like he did whenever they talked even though he never told her his actual condition..

He had undergone coronary angioplasty almost two years ago as a non-invasive procedure of providing him with some relief from the chest pains. He had told his children that it was a mild heart condition and that the treatment would've fixed it and since he had been doing well except for a couple of non-serious attacks recently, none of them had really thought him that vulnerable. Tonight's attack had been a serious one and doctors warned that they might have to perform an emergency bypass surgery on him.

Her own heart had squeezed painfully at the news. It was risky but with or without it, Isshin could die.

Unable to stand the wait for another minute without going out of her mind, Rukia decided to go down to the cafeteria and fetch everyone something to drink and snack on. Grimmjow went with her.

"I'll be okay," She said, turning back to Grimmjow. "I'm not sure I can say the same for the Kurosaki siblings."

"They're made of sterner stuff despite their sheltered lives. They're all like their father in that way. They'll get through it."

She nodded back. "We'll make sure they do. You, me and everyone else who is part of this family in some way. They're good people, Grimm."

"They are," he agreed as they finished making the last cup of coffee. "I've decided to postpone my trip to London. I'll stick around for as long as I'm needed."

Rukia smiled at him as they picked up the cups and the brown paper bag that contained the microwaved ham and cheese wraps they got from the deli counter. "Thank you, Grimmjow. It means a lot to me and to them to have you around."

He just smiled as they started walking to the elevator.

"You know, you should find a girl already Grimm, would you like me to introduce you to Inoue?"

Grimmjow's eyes bulged as he choked on his coffee. His gaze narrowed at her. "No. I'm not interested in your assistant, Ruks."

"You're not?" She asked casually, glancing up at the ceiling in mock-innocence. "Because that's really too bad. Inoue is an amazing girl—beautiful, intelligent, super-sweet."

His expression tightened. "I'm sure she is, if you say so. I haven't really spoken much to her personally and I don't intend to."

She rolled her eyes. "Why not? She would be perfect for you."

Grimmjow held her gaze for a long moment, his jaw clenched tight. The elevator door opened. He stayed behind for a moment and she paused on her way out to wait for him. He said nothing as he slowly stepped out of the elevator and she lagged back to keep pace with him.

"Grimmjow?" Rukia prompted uncertainly, aware that there was nothing teasing or playful about his mood anymore.

He sighed. "I get that you feel terrible and want me to be happy, Ruks, but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't force me in a certain direction. You can't just grab the first girl you think will match up well with me and drop her in your place. It stings a little bit."

"Oh," was all she managed to say as her heart dropped at his words.

Their conversation in the last two minutes did a rewind in her head and she saw where she could've kept her mouth shut. She bit her lip, lowering her head. "I'm sorry, Grimmjow. I didn't really think."

He smiled weakly. "It's alright. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten grumpy. You're just doing what you always seem to do best—try to make everyone happy."

She made a face. "Apparently, I suck at it."

"No, you don't," he said with a soft laugh. "I'm just..."

She glanced at him, waiting for his next words nervously. He bumped her gently on the arm as they walked, rounding the corner to the last hall that led to the ICU's waiting room. "It's just been a rough night for me, Ruks."

"I know," she said softly. "The fact that you're here when you probably want to be long gone by now is proof of how good a person you are, Grimm, which makes me feel even worse because I can't make you happy the way you deserve to be."

He raised a brow meaningfully. "If I'm only there for those who constantly make me happy, that doesn't really make me a good person now, does it? I'm just merely returning the favor."

Rukia opened her mouth to answer but Kaien suddenly popped up from around the corner, nearly colliding with them.

His eyes narrowed at them. "Well, you two sure look cozy. Does Ichigo share nowadays, Grimmjow?"

"I would shut my mouth if I were you, Shiba," Grimmjow growled next to her.

"Afraid of the big, bad Ichigo?" Kaien retorted, an unpleasant smile curling on his handsome face. "All these years and you're still happily following him around like a loyal dog."

Rukia was honestly too stunned for a moment that she didn't react at first as Kaien's taunts registered. "That didn't take long," she blurted out, narrowing her eyes at the man. "Less than twenty-four hours and I'm quickly discovering my own reasons for not liking you."

He scoffed at her. "What makes you think I care about you think? Aren't gold-digging trophy wives supposed to just sit pretty and stay mute nowadays?"

She thrust her chin up defiantly. "Aren't rambling idiots supposed to shut up before they dig themselves a deeper hole when they can barely climb out of the one they're already in?"

Kaien's eyes narrowed but before any of them could say anything more, a rush of raised voices came down the hallway behind him.

"Onii-chan don't." Yuzu sounded frantic as Ichigo stormed in behind his cousin, his face contorted with anger.

Rukia's heart started pounding hard. She'd never seen Ichigo this furious. He looked like he was going to tear Kaien into pieces and eat him for lunch.

"Don't you dare walk away like a coward, Kaien!" he bellowed. Karin and Yuzu were clustered around him, grabbing each of his arms as they tried to haul him back.

"I will walk away if I want to, Ichigo," Kaien sneered, turning around to face Ichigo. "I don't have to listen to your baseless accusations. I forget that you're always more than happy to pin the blame on me but if you think I'm just going to keep putting up with it, you're wrong."

"What the hell is going on here?" Rukia demanded.

Both men ignored her.

"Of course it's never your fault, Kaien!" Ichigo shot back. "Every time something goes wrong, it's always someone else responsible for it. It's only your responsibility if it's convenient to you and it serves your purpose—it doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process."

Kaien's face darkened furiously. "You're getting carried away again with your preaching, Kurosaki, which you have no right to give considering what a hypocrite you are. You're just as bad as you accuse me to be and you know it."

Nelliel stood between them, glaring as she spoke. "Stop it both of you!"

"Don't you dare interfere Nelliel!" Kaien said that boomed all over the place.

Grimmjow pulled Nelliel's arm and hid her behind him. "Don't you fucking yell at her!"

"I will never be as vile as you are, wondering out loud what to do next to the company as if my father was already a cold, dead slab of meat just waiting to be disposed of." Ichigo said slowly and menacingly, advancing toward Kaien despite his sisters' hold.

"Are you for real?" Rukia hissed at Kaien. "At a time like this, that's what you're concerned about?"

He gave her a snide smile. "Aren't you concerned about the same thing, Ruki? With Isshin dead, your husband's likely to gain more money and power. Wasn't that the whole point of why you married him?"

You son of a bitch.

As she was about to launch herself at him, red flickering across her vision, Ichigo's feral growl caught her off guard and she watched in horror as her husband charged forward, tackling his cousin with a shoulder to the chest, throwing them both down on the floor.

"Shit."

Grimmjow's muttered curse rushed over to the two men brawling in the hospital lobby.

"Ichigo! Kaien! Stop it!" Nelliel pleaded hysterically. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

Karin pulled Yuzu close to her side to keep him out of the fray while Grimmjow arm shot out to keep Nelliel from throwing herself into the mix as her brother and cousin rolled around the floor, trying to get as much fist into the other's face as possible.

"Don't you ever dare speak a crude word to my wife, you ass!" Ichigo spewed, grabbing Kaien by the collar and fiercely jabbing him on the jaw.

This can't be happening. Ichigo is pummelling his scum of a cousin into the hospital floor until he becomes fossilized in it, hours after their wedding and with his father in critical condition. Can this night get any crazier? Apparently, it could because without being really conscious of it as her feet moved, Rukia found herself pouring the now-tepid coffee over both of their heads.

That stilled them.

"Rukia, what the hell?" Ichigo demanded, blinking rapidly at her through the brown liquid dripping down the side of his face.

Kaien sputtered and raised his head, shaking as much coffee as he could off himself.

"As much as I would love to flatten Mr. Shiba into a permanent floor fixture, this is not the time and place to do it!" She grated, glaring at both of them. "Issh- I mean, Dad needs us here and I'll be damned if I'm going to have to spend the next few hours bailing you out of jail."

Grimmjow gently took her arm to lead her away but she shook free from him.

Rukia planted her fists on her waist and stared down the two cousins. "Now, be big boys and pick yourselves up the floor before I wipe it clean with your asses."

Kaien glowered at her. "You're so much prettier when you don't open your mouth, Rukia."

Ichigo's eyes closed briefly before they opened again, flashing her a look of remorse. "Sorry, Rukia, but I'm not going to let that comment pass," he muttered before he turned to Kaien and slugged him in the face again. Kaien fought back and she had no choice but to step back as the two stumbled along the floor again, trying to get at each other's throats. Grimmjow groaned and dived in, trying to pull Ichigo away from his cousin.

Thirty seconds later, the hospital lobby was full of staff and other people trying to break up the fight.

Rukia closed her eyes and swore softly. She knew she wasn't going to have a typical wedding night. She just had no clue it would turn out this way.

She grimaced at the sight of Ichigo's busted lip and the bruises on his jaw. Her heart twisted but she reined her emotions in.

\- If he kept this up, I'd be a young widow in no time. -

.

.

"Don't be such a baby!"

"Rukia, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm sticky with coffee, my father just came out of a bypass surgery and I still smell like the jail cell I sat in for two hours."

Rukia winced at Ichigo's incensed reply which only worsened her pounding headache.

"Uh-huh," she said on her cell phone as she rode up the elevator to Ichigo's penthouse. "That's what happens when you insist on beating Kaien into a pulp and the hospital staff calls the cops on you. Unfortunately for you, your Dad had to go into surgery just then so we all got a little busy. I forgot to call your lawyer right away."

"You forgot?" Ichigo repeated in disbelief. "You forgot after you promised you'd call Shunsui right right away as the police was carting me off in the back of their car? I waited for an hour thinking he was coming any minute considering the exorbitant amount of money I pay him and my entire legal team. When he still didn't show, I called him and was dumbfounded to learn that he was still snoring away because he had no idea I was in prison."

She sighed. "Ichigo, it's two hours. You made it out of there before your father came out of surgery. You were driven away from your short stint as a hardened criminal in the cushy backseat of your luxury car. Yes, you're tired, hungry, a little smelly and filthy. Life isn't perfect. You had the money to bail yourself out of jail after a mere two hours of inconvenience, your father's alive and on his way to recuperating and your wife isn't about to kill you yet despite how foolishly you acted this morning. You're lounging about in Isshin's five-star hotel-like hospital suite where I'll meet you in half an hour with fresh clothes so you can shower, and a king's meal to stuff down your throat. Stop complaining and count your blessings."

She heard his agitated exhalation. He sounded like he was gritting his teeth before replying.

"But you weren't here when I got back," he complained.

She couldn't help but smile as the elevator opened to the private foyer of the penthouse. Since Isshin came out of surgery and both Ichigo and Kaien, from each of their separate cells, decided not to press any charges against each other, she'd been able to relax again.

"Of course, I'm not. Knowing how much you want to wring my neck right now, I thought I'd give you some time to cool off before I show my face with some peace offering."

She pressed the fob Ikkaku gave her on her way up after he drove her from the hospital for a key-less entry to the condo. She called him and Inoue around seven-thirty when she felt that it was as decent an hour as she could find to alert them of the situation with Isshin and Ichigo's arrest. Apparently, they'd already heard and were on their way because the cousins' scuffle in the hospital was already all over the local morning news. The paps were already camped outside the hospital when she left and Grimmjow had arranged to beef up the Kurosaki's' security.

"Half hour, okay?" Ichigo said with a resigned sigh. "If you're not here then, I'll come and get you."

She smiled as she went into the condo and headed toward their bedroom—er, she meant Ichigo's bedroom.

"You never warned me you were going to be such a needy husband," Rukia teased, smirking.

"If I've become one, it's all your fault," Ichigo replied sulkily. Really, he sounded like a six-year-old but the fact that she knew he knew exactly how he was acting and hated it endeared him to her a little more. "How did you get in anyway? I'm yet to give you your keys. I was going to give them to you today."

"Ikkaku-san," she answered. "Perks of having my own bodyguard-slash-chauffeur. And Omaeda remembers me, of course."

"Who's Omaeda?"

"My friend at the concierge, remember? The one who dealt with Riruka two nights ago." She sighed. "By the way, would your siblings need food too? I'll make sure to bring enough. The fridge there is stocked but mostly with just granola bars and those microwavable sandwiches. There's gourmet food service but I was a little offended by their prices. I can't rob a sick man like that."

"Well, Nel already ordered food and fed everyone so don't worry about them," Ichigo answered with a sigh. "Grimmjow drove them home after I got back and he's getting some sleep too for a bit before swinging by again later. You and me are on watch but Dad hasn't even woken up yet so we can nap a little. There's a nice, big sofa bed here."

She grinned. "I know. I saw it. Not exactly the marital bed to spend our first day married on but I'll bring some more blankets for us."

"Just get here, okay?" he asked, his voice faltering a little, more desperate than impatient. "I need to relax and I can't until you're here."

"Okay," she said. "Now, let me go so I can get on with what I need to do here and head back over there as soon as possible."

"Alright. See you later."

Finally, she slipped her cellphone into her jeans' back pocket and looked around, and scrambling into the shower. The steam helped her aching midsection and the pounding headache the lack of sleep, the summer heat and the pain meds joined forces to torture me with. After drying her hair enough that it wasn't dripping all over the place, she let it hang over my back and put on a pair of white, cotton shorts, a floral peasant blouse and her red sneakers.

Since they had a lot of stuff already packed in bags for their honeymoon trip, she had to go rummaging in the epic walk-in closet. After emptying a small, leather duffel bag she'd dug out, she went to rifle through some of Ichigo's clothes to find him a comfortable, uncomplicated set to wear along with a clean pair of black boxer briefs which Rukia stared at for a full minute. It was hard not to imagine the snug fit of the fabric over the slopes and planes of that certain part of Ichigo's anatomy which she became intimate with last night—or much earlier this morning.

\- Of all things that could've interrupted us, a heart attack—neither mine nor his—was the last thing I expected -

If things had progressed much further, she would've probably would've acquired respiratory and circulatory problems—too much gasping and moaning and fevered blood directed to specific pleasure zones that were near bursting with sensations. If nothing had happened to Isshin, they would already be aboard Ichigo's private jet by now, kicking back and enjoying the high life while they traveled in comfort and luxury to his secret destination for their honeymoon.

She snapped herself out of the daydream and sat on Ichigo's side of the bed to pick up some of his important items like his watch, tablet and cell phone charger from his night stand, the charger bouncing off a small, black leather portfolio folder sticking out from under the bed. Absently, she picked it up to put it away in case it was important and work-related but as the folder contents shifted to one side, the top right corner peeking out from under the cover, she noticed the edge of a colored map. Before Rukia could even consider that what she was doing was snooping, she found herself opening the folder and glancing down at its contents.

Her eyes widened, her heart starting a quick cadence.

Tucked in the folder was a small collection of traveler's maps, assorted pairs of tickets, brochures and guides. Under them was a notepad clipped on the folder, scribbled with Ichigo's unmistakeable large, bold scrawls. Her breath caught in her throat as she set aside the other contents of the folder to scan Ichigo's notes.

Project: Honeymoon with Rukia

Goal: Make my wife happy and let her have some fun at her favorite place in the world.

Timeline: One week

Resources: R's profile report, Isane, Nel, Karin, Inoue

Brainstorming ideas:

1\. Quaint, romantic, private accommodations (R dislikes blatant displays of wealth)

2\. Shopping, of course. (As per Inoue, remind her of the family she's helping feed by buying clothes she can afford but may not necessarily need. As per Nel, let her buy what she wants and if she wants to put her own spin on it, let her. As per Karin, spoil her like a princess. She hadn't always been one. Rukia. A princess. Imagine that.

Important: Spontaneous. Gotta be spontaneous. Go wherever you and R end up—as long as you're together.

2\. Have fun.

3\. Hold her hand.

4\. Kiss her a lot—lots.

5\. Cuddle.

6\. Snuggle.

7\. Buy her flowers.

8\. Tell her she's beautiful.

9\. Try not to throw yourself all over her.

10\. Read books to her.

11\. Dance with her—anywhere, everywhere.

12\. Talk. Ask her about her time in Tokyo. Ask her where she wants to go in the world and take her there. Show her the world. Let her be young. And carefree. And happy.

Her fingers were shaking as she traced the letters of his scribbles absently, stunned by what she just read. At first, she was a little peeved that Ichigo wrote out their honeymoon like a business project outline. She wasn't surprised considering his pragmatic and logical approach to most things, with her exception, of course, but it seemed cold to her at first—until she got to the second line where the goal was stated.

What obviously started out as a nearly-academic outline became something else.

Rukia could picture out Ichigo sighing as his own random thoughts started taking over his no-nonsense plan—when he started to write more of what he thought and felt as candidly as he would've in his head and heart.

\- He wanted to take me to Tokyo for our honeymoon, of all places. -

It had been the dream and escape she paid a high price for with her father—one she had achieved for a very short time before her father's death dragged her back home where he'd wanted her to stay in the first place. Tokyo was one of the reasons she took Ichigo's offer in the beginning—for the chance to go back and reclaim that dream—yet here he was, planning on taking her back, even for just a short while.

\- He was going to let me live that dream again, even for just a week, and join me in it. -

And he would hold her hand, kiss her lots, go for romantic walks with her and let her be young, carefree and happy. Tears stung her eyes and she tried not to smile and cry at the same time. She never thought he'd think of her that way—that he'd want to see her well and happy. Ichigo Kurosaki is just as full of surprises in this marriage as she is.

Rukia laid there for a while, blinking back tears and grinning silly alone, before she sat back up and returned the folder and all its contents to where she originally found them. She finished packing the bag with some toiletries, grabbed the food from the fridge and hopped back into the car.

Ikkaku helped her up with the cooler bag into the hospital room, standing guard for her as well in case anyone accosted her along the way. He left as soon as she stepped inside Isshin's luxury hospital suite. Yes. People could really pay an arm and leg for a stint in the hospital of a five-star-hotel caliber.

Ichigo was sitting next to his father's bed, his eyes shut, his fingers kneading his forehead. Even though he seemed to have washed the coffee off his face and hair, he still looked disheveled and dirty and scraped up.

Her heart surged, remembering all that she read from his notepad earlier.

She set down all her stuff and approached him.

"Hey," Rukia greeted him softly, placing a hand on his shoulder as she leaned against Isshin's bed and faced Ichigo. "I brought some food and fresh clothes."

He looked up at her touch, his eyes fluttering open and gazing at hers. They were anxious, tired and tender. "I'm sorry about this morning," he blurted out, taking her other hand and squeezing it. "I was tired and worried about Dad and Kaien just pushed me over the edge when he started talking about what needed to happen in the company if Dad died. I wasn't prepared for that."

She squeezed his hand back, studying the fresh nicks on his knuckles from this morning's scuffle. "I know. I understand."

Ichigo shook his head in dismay. "And then when he turned on you—I just kind of exploded. I'm sorry for putting you through that. I've never gone that far before."

She smiled. "I can actually see that."

He smiled weakly. "You can say I might have unraveled a bit with all the events of the last twenty-four-hours."

"I didn't particularly make it easy on you," she said with a sigh. "I'm sorry for forgetting to call your lawyer."

"Don't worry about it. It helped me think and pull myself together," he replied, glancing at Isshin who was still lying unconsciously in bed. "I was starting to panic about the possibility that he was going to die and that I would never be able to confess our lie and ask him to forgive us for it. I did this to make him happy but the guilt wasn't something I'd been prepared to live with."

She could empathize completely. She had been racked with that same guilt the whole time they waited for the doctors to proclaim that Isshin was going to make it.

"I still think he would be happier not knowing," Ichigo continued, still studying his father. "But to know that the option to tell him was there if I needed it gave me some room to breathe and make the better choice. But if he'd died, he would've taken that other option away and leave me with one I could never rectify."

\- The beauty and evil of choices. The lies we say out loud and the truths we couldn't even utter within the confines of our own hearts. Such is the burden of free will. -

"He's going to be okay, Ichigo," she reassured him gently, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Isshin is a stubborn, old goat. We're not going to lose him. Not for a long while."

He smiled and leaned in toward her, pressing his head against her chest, his own arms circling her waist. It gave her a certain height with him sitting while she stood and she tightened her arms around his shoulders and neck, resting her chin on the top of his head.

They held each other like that for a long time.

"I'm sorry we couldn't go for our honeymoon," he spoke up, still holding her. "I'll take you another time."

Rukia smiled. "It's alright. Where would you have taken me anyway?"

"Somewhere special," he said. She couldn't see his face but she could imagine it. "I think you would've liked it very much."

\- I would've loved it but he doesn't know that I know. -

Lies and truths.

Sometimes, she wished they could stop telling the first one and start admitting the other.

* * *

me: Thanks again for reading. What do think so far?

I apologize for Kaien's behavior. Trust me, he's not really all that bad. Coz I'm a fan of his, LoL!

To those of you requested Ichigo's side of the story, sorry if you're not going to hear from him soon. pls don't hate me *ducks under my bed*

I got 30 reviews last chapter! I am speechless. That's what made me upload this chapter quickly.

Thank you so much for the amazing comments last chapter:

Achalida / RukiYuki / Guest / Uin / JoTerry / Guest / Sara1991 / Amethyst hazel / Guest / Only Luna /Sisteraptor / ChocoLava / Gin / Nolly / Ichiruki4vr / blissbeat / Inverse L. Reena / Cc / Christopher / Guest / applepieshiomai / Jobananasan / break blade / akat24 / ZIA227 / yeslxl / MrSelfdeprecation / mbravesgirl7 and Anonymous2234.

And I wanna give a heartwarming welcome to our new reader/reviewer: Sisteraptor, Uin , Christopher, break blade, akat24 and ChocoLava.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for the Favs and Follows.

*The GrimmNel scene in this chapter is dedicated to JoTerry/ blissbeat and Nolly. By reading your reviews, I thought that you guys must like this couple as much as we do. :)*

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: There is no good or bad side. There's the truth and the lies.

"You okay?" Grimmjow asked as he lowered himself next to Nelliel on the bench outside of her Dad's operating room. "Are you nervous about the surgery?"

"You know Dad. Nothing ever takes him down," She said with a brave expression.

Well, that was a mild exaggeration.

Isshin Kurosaki had been brought to his knees once in his life. When Masaki died from an aneurysm five years ago, they'd thought he'd follow right behind her.

"He'll pull through," Grimmjow said, bumping her arm with his. "Don't worry."

She glanced at him, noting the light scratch on his chin after jumping into the scuffle earlier, when Ichigo had been furiously thrashing their cousin Kaien in the hospital lobby.

Those two grew up pretty much together since Kaien spent more time with them than his own family, and they've always been competitive.

"I'm fine, I promise." Nelliel handed him a clean spare of table napkin she'd gotten from the cafeteria a few minutes ago.

When Grimmjow just looked at the napkin blankly, she rolled her eyes and pressed it to the scratch where a little bit of blood had dried. He winced but he didn't move away, his hand laying over hers even though the pressure wasn't needed. Nelliel wanted to pull her hand away but Grimm had closed his eyes, the deep crease between his brows finally relaxing. She couldn't find it in her to abruptly take that small relief away.

"Where did everyone go?" She asked, trying to ignore the warmth of his hand.

He kept his eyes closed as he answered. "Karin is wrapping up her statement at the station to make sure neither Ichigo nor Kaien stay for too long there. Rukia took Yuzu downstairs to the cafeteria again to distract her with something to eat."

"And are you up here to distract yourself from a girl you couldn't have for yourself?" The words were out before Nelliel could stop them.

Grimmjow's eyes snapped open and he frowned at her, his hand finally lowering from hers that she was able to easily pull it back.

"I'm here because I'm worried about Isshin," he said. "I love that old man like a father."

She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Nelliel opened her eyes and studied his brooding expression. She didn't want to go down this road but she remembered his face during the party and as much as she hated the reason for it, she couldn't ignore it. "It's just... I was a little worried about you at the wedding. I know you have feelings for Rukia. It couldn't have been easy for you."

Grimmjow winced. "Rukia's one hell of a girl. And I just adored her more since meeting her. But she's happy with your brother and I could never resent Ichigo for that."

Nelliel's heart squeezed at the affection in his voice. She couldn't make herself un-hear it but like most blows in life, she kept her footing and took it with dignity. "You don't have to stick around if it's difficult for you to be around her. Go. I'll be fine here."

"I'm not going anywhere, Nel," He said with a smile. "If I plan to remain Ichigo's best friend, I'll have to get used to having him and Rukia around."

"Do you just enjoy the torture?"

He chuckled this time. "No. I'm not a rock. There's something bittersweet about seeing them together."

"Why? Because you wish it was you?"

His gaze grew pensive. "In a way, yes. It's not exactly that I look at them and wish I was Ichigo. More like I wish I had what they had. They look so damn happy and content."

Her eyes widened. "What they have is called love, Grimm. Do you remember? It's the thing you avoid like the plague with any woman."

"I know, I know." He rolled his eyes. "I shouldn't have said anything to you. If there's anyone who would gladly throw my past mistakes to my face, it would be you."

He didn't look like he was kidding.

Damn.

"Don't tell me you've gone all soft now," Nelliel said, slumping back in her seat. "You're probably just having trouble coping with Ichigo suddenly going from happy bachelor to happy husband. You probably thought you'd be both old and gray and still having the time of the day with the ladies."

A small smile curved at the corner of his mouth. "For a while, I did. It's partly why it mystified me how Ichigo could've given it all up. But one look at him and Rukia and I totally understand why. So it made me think."

She squirmed inside a little. "I'm not sure you know what you're getting into."

But Grimmjow paid her no mind. "I'm now wondering if I'm missing out on something better because I wouldn't go any farther. And I wouldn't know until I try."

Her eyes widened. "So you're going to go out there and try to get into a serious relationship?"

"Well, I'm not going to put up a billboard ad," he said with a grin. "I'll just be more... open to the idea, I guess. What do you think?"

She didn't want to answer.

It was one thing to see Grimmjow jump from one woman to another the last couple years. At least she knew that they didn't mean that much to him. It was completely selfish but true. And Nelliel could handle it. But to see Grimmjow actually fall in love and spend his life with a woman, to be the man she'd dreamed him of becoming for her all those years ago but to someone else, it's going to hurt more than she'd care to admit.

"I think that you're curious enough to experiment but love isn't a science project, Grimm," she said dismissively, looking away so she couldn't betray anything on her face. "And no one wants to be the test subject."

"Do you honestly think I hurt every woman I'm with?"

Nelliel had to look at him because there was hurt in his voice. He was frowning at her, his brows pulling in as he waited for an answer.

It was easy to say yes— he'd hurt her after all, but it wouldn't be true.

"No. I don't think you ever mean to," she said quietly. "But you can hurt someone not just with what you do but also with what you can't do. So never make promises you can't keep."

She would never know if Grimmjow would remember the promise he carelessly made her when she was twelve but that didn't matter anymore.

"You're right. And I won't," he agreed. He even surprised her more when he reached for her hand and covered it with his much larger one. "But here's a promise I will keep no matter what, I'll be here for you, Nel. I'll be here for your entire family. So don't be afraid."

A sob rose to her throat but she quickly pushed it back. Blinking through a rush of tears, she turned her hand up until his fingers could fit in between hers, grateful for their strength. "Thanks, Grimm."

"We really need to stop hanging out at hospitals like this," he murmured.

Nelliel couldn't help but laugh despite her tear-stung eyes. "I'm with you on that."

"It's good to see you smile, Nel," he said, his voice dropping an octave.

She peered up at him from beneath damp lashes and saw him smiling softly at her. "It's good to have you around to make me."

His grin just broadened before he patted his bicep. "Now, come on. Close your eyes and take a nap. It'll be hours before the surgery's over."

She should've said no because while Grimmjow meant well, her heart wouldn't see it that way. He only offered comfort and that was all she should really take. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his arm, strong and hard with muscle beneath the long sleeves of his shirt.

If only comfort didn't have consequences.

.

.

{ Five days later ... }

Rukia cautiously eyed the elegant, plum-colored invitation Inoue handed her and scrutinized the gold, text written on it.

Inoue smiled. "The Lady Royals Society is an old and esteemed group of influential women in the country who campaign for charity, social reform and many other important advocacies. Many of them use their financial and social connections to further their cause. To be invited as an honoree in one of their monthly tea parties is a big deal because that usually means they're thinking of recruiting you."

"Do you think Ichigo would want me to go to this thing?" She asked Inoue before picking up her tall plastic cup of multi-colored layers of slushies and taking a long sip up the giant fat straw."He might think this is kind of silly."

Inoue shook her head."I'm sure he won't. The Kurosaki Industries is one of their biggest regular sponsors. It couldn't hurt to have someone from the family be part of the Society."

She sighed, unable to decide just yet. "I'll think about it."

Half an hour later, Rukia and Inoue wrapped up. Inoue headed out to run some name-change errands for her and Rukia went to check in on Isshin. He was already awake, the top-half of his bed raised to help him sit up, watching some business news. She smiled at him. The old man looked thin and weary, his skin a bit dry and papery but he smiled back and patted the spot next to him in bed.

"You know that the economy hasn't crashed and burned while you were out of commission, right?" She said teasingly, plopping down on the spot next to him on the bed.

"I know, Rukia-chan." he replied with a nod, his voice still a bit raspy after he'd been able to finally talk properly again." That means I've trained my son well enough in the business to handle it all on his own."

She tilted her head to the side to look at him. "Did you ever doubt that he couldn't?

"Not really. Ichigo will learn everything there is to learn and do what is needed to be done to accomplish a task given to him," Isshin explained. " Its his nature. He can't help it. He knew since he was very young that this company would be left in his hands someday. He's persevered in preparing himself for that responsibility."

"I'm sure Ichigo would have no problem being at the helm of the ship but I didn't spend a lifetime training to be the metaphorical ship captain wife," she mumbled. " Sometimes, I wonder how I ever convinced myself I could do it."

"There are plenty of good reasons for marrying my son, Rukia-chan" Isshin said, smiling at her softly. " But I think, for you, the biggest incentive is Ichigo himself."

Rukia opened her mouth to automatically dispute what he said but with Isshin's eyes boring into hers meaningfully, she faltered and shut her mouth close instead. She blew out a breath and rolled her eyes.

"While you're right about that, I sometimes still have to remind myself of it especially when he does reckless, idiotic things like beat up his cousin," She grumbled, shaking her head. "Have I told you that Ichigo has a quick temper? You never told me that about him. And that he reacts so fiercely at the slightest provocation, like someone rambling on something rude to me when it was obvious the guy's just baiting him, or that since the guy can be a bit of a tool that no one should really waste time on anything he says."

"No, not really," Isshin answered, his smile broadening. "In fact, Ichigo can be quite indifferent with things he's not focused on. He usually doesn't care enough to get provoked by things easily."

She frowned."Are we talking about the same person? Or does your son have split personalities?"

Isshin chuckled lightly, quickly catching himself before the strain of his laughter caused him discomfort. He took a deep, ragged breath and closed his eyes briefly before easing back on his bed. "I'm sorry, Rukia-chan. I didn't mean to make fun of what you said. And no, I don't think my son is suffering from any kind of multiple-personality disorder. Maybe he s just finally coming around to caring enough to react to things. That's a good sign." Isshin patted her hand." He's going to be like a child who just realized he could walk. He'll be all over the place, tottering over relentlessly until he gets the hang of it. You just have to be patient with him."

"Did you know that he was going to take me to Tokyo for our honeymoon? He doesn't know that I know but I thought it was the sweetest thing. Tokyo is my favorite place in the world."

Isshin closed his eyes but he was still smiling. "It's good to know that things have their own way of working out."

Rukia stilled." What do you mean?"

"I'm tired now, Rukia-chan," Isshin said without opening his eyes. "I'll rest for a bit, I think."

Rukia had a sudden urge to interrogate the old man because she was certain that there was something else he meant with that statement but she held herself back and slid off the bed, grabbing the remote to turn the TV volume down. She had just settled in the couch with a food magazine when the phone buzzed.

"Mr. Shiba is here to see Mr. Kurosaki," A guy from the security desk said. " I've advised him that he's not allowed access but he said he wanted to speak with you."

She sighed and put the magazine down." Please tell him I'll meet him in the lounge in a few minutes. Thanks."

After a few minutes walking to the lounge, she saw Kaien. His back was turned when she came." You look worse for the wear," Rukia remarked dryly when he turned around to face her. He was a bit bruised and scraped, his jaw unshaven and his hair messy.

His eyes narrowed at her."I want to see uncle Isshin."

She sat on one of the leather sectionals and crossed her legs. "Sorry but you can't. Ichigo had you banned and since Isshin hasn't particularly asked for you either, I figured he's not that interested in seeing you himself."

He snorted and started pacing in front of her."I'm not surprised considering just how accurately Ichigo would've relayed what really happened. He's made it his lifelong mission to always make sure I look bad to the old man."

She raised a brow." Didn'tt it ever occur to you that maybe you just do that yourself with no help whatsoever?"

Anger flashed in his eyes as his face tightened with restraint. "Uncle Isshin has been more of a father to me than my own had ever been. I've lived my whole life trying to be everything the old man wanted me to be. It's not my fault that Ichigo has a problem with that."

"I can't say it was Ichigo's fault either for losing it on you when you were talking about his father like he was already dead," she pointed out, raising a brow at him. " It makes one wonder whether you worked hard to please the old man simply because you owed him that much or merely because you hope to gain everything he has to leave behind when his time comes."

"I will not be a hypocrite and deny that I have an interest in taking on a bigger role in the company when the time is right," he answered curtly." But as for speaking as I did, I didn't mean to imply that I already wished him dead because I don't. I was getting very anxious and I rambled on. I would think, of all people, you would know what its like to blurt out something you didn't really mean."

She studied the man. She couldn't tell for sure whether he was being sincere or merely playing her. She didn't know the man all that well and even though she was usually an excellent judge of character, Rukia couldn't be sure about Kaien.

She sighed." Yes, I can be a bit too candid sometimes but you know what I m also really good at other than saying some outrageous things I don't always mean? I apologize really well. Maybe you can try that."

He was quiet for a moment as he deliberated what to say next. She had a feeling it wasn't t going to be an apology to her which was fine because she meant what she told him

"I want to apologize to Isshin," he finally said.

She stood up and tucked her hands into the pockets of her white denim cut offs. "I'll take it up to him. If he wants to see you, you'll know."

"Ichigo isn't going to allow that," he said grimly.

"Ichigo isn't Isshin's father so I don't imagine his preference will not stop the old man if he wants to see you," She assured him a small smile. " And maybe when you do see Ichigo next time, you could roll out one of your apologies his way so you two could stop fighting like a pair of juveniles."

Kaien laughed with no humor, his voice hollow and harsh. "Mine and Ichigo's issues go deeper than that, Rukia. I don't recommend asking him if you don't want to get on his bad side."

She smirked as she paused on her way out."There is no good or bad side, Mr. Shiba. There's the truth and the lies. We all know what it's like to do a reckless dance between the two."

And with that, she left before her own guilt could give her away.

.

.

At around five, Nel, Karin and Yuzu arrived, their arms loaded with take-out food. Grimmjow usually made an appearance as well. Isshin complained loudly about the temptation of the the food they were enjoying while he was stuck with his doctor-prescribed diet but they all knew he was secretly pleased having everyone around.

"This isn't quite working out like in the movies," Nelliel grumbled as she tried twisting off the cap of the sparkling apple juice bottle she'd been trying to open in the last five minutes. " Isn't this supposed to just pop off and spray all over?"

Grimmjow, who had just tossed a piece of barbecued pork into his mouth, went over to her and took the bottle. " It won't spray like champagne, stupid. And I won't attempt opening it with your bare hands, if I were you, because the edges can be sharp." He grabbed a thick paper towel from one of the bags Yuzu was unloading and wrapped it around the bottle opening. "You gotta hold tight and twist without give or you just going to end up scraping your hand."

"Like this?" Nelliel asked, holding up her scratched and slightly bleeding palm.

Grimmjow hissed an unintelligible curse before twisting the bottle open and setting it down quickly on the table. He grabbed Nelliel's hand and led her to the small sink by the kitchenette. He stuck her hand under the water and washed it with some soap while Nel cringed and bit her lip, bravely enduring the sting of her wound.

"You could just asked me, you know?" Grimmjow gently scolded her before grabbing a paper towel and pressing it around her hand after turning off the water. "I would taken care of it for you, Nel. But you can be such a stubborn brat."

Nelliel glared at him. "Calling me a brat isn't convincing me to trust you to take care of things, Grimm."

Grimmjow took the band-aid Rukia handed him and carefully pressed it over Nel's palm. "You can also trust me to point out to you when you being unnecessarily stubborn and unreasonable."

Karin, who came over to look in on her sister's injury, just snorted a laugh. " And you can trust her to shove it right back at you, Grimm-nii. Just because Nel-chan doesn't blabber all the time, doesn't mean she doesn't have a good comeback to dish out to you."

Rukia grinned at Karin." Yup. You got to be careful with these silent types."

Grimmjow scowled at them after lowering Nelliel's s freshly bandaged hand. "And you two aren't helping. You're just encouraging her to be as strong-willed as the two of you."

Nelliel punched him in the arm with her uninjured hand. " I've always been strong-willed. I'm just not excessively talkative like you doofus."

Rukia wiggled her brows at Grimmjow, fighting a laugh."Burn. Now is a good time to shut up when you got nothing else to say but stuff you'll only regret later."

Grimmjow opened his mouth as if to protest but between Nelliel glowering and Karin, Yuzu and Rukia giggling, he closed it and just shook his head before stomping away.

"What's going on?" Ichigo said as he walked into the room and saw her and his sisters laughing.

Rukia's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He was in faded jeans and a gray V-neck shirt that snugly fit over his muscled build. The summer sun had brought out lighter streaks of his hair that they looked almost blonde in some angles.

"I'm congratulating myself on not having sisters," Grimmjow grumbled from the table where he went back to snacking on food he shouldn't even be touching yet.

"I think the girls were ganging up on Grimmy here," Isshin said in amusement from his bed where Yuzu sat with him.

"I'd hardly cut my own hand just to gang up on him,"Nel retorted, rolling her eyes as they all headed back to the table.

Ichigo smiled without sympathy for his friend as he made his way to Rukia and lifted her slightly off the floor— surprising her, for a quick but hungry kiss. She'd missed him all day and she couldn't help it when her arms went around his neck as she kissed him back. Her injuries have been healing nicely in the past several days that she only felt a minor discomfort with some of her larger movements even though the bruise on her midsection now resembled the inside of an avocado.

"I know it's your honeymoon week but could you please wait until you get home and some of us have already eaten?" Karin grumbled with a roll of her eyes. " We aren't exactly a captive audience, you know?"

Ichigo laughed and lowered Rukia back on the floor. Her own cheeks blazed when she realized that everyone was giving them amused glances, even Yuzu who ducked her head back into the book she was reading. Grimmjow had a resigned look on his face as he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Fair enough,"Ichigo said as he pulled her toward the table. "I'm starving for actual food, even if my wife looks like a feast."

Rukia jabbed him on the side just as Grimmjow groaned loudly.

"Must you really ruin our appetite, Ichigo?" he complained crossly which only amused Ichigo even more.

"I think he's intent on rubbing it in our faces just how sickeningly happy his married life is," Nelliel added with a smirk, handing the their plates and raising a brow at her brother. "We get it, you know?"

"As much as I'd like to brag, I wouldn't want to encourage you to get married just yet, Nel," Ichigo said as he reached out to ruffle his sister's hair which earned him a smack on the arm from her. "For one, you're still my baby sister and two, I haven't met anyone yet that I approve of for you."

Karin snorted. "Nel-chan is as old as Rukia-chan so get off your high horse, Ichi-nii. And I didn't realize we needed your approval."

Ichigo gave her a meaningful look." If you'd asked for it, you might have avoided certain men."

Karin blushed furiously and Rukia rolled her eyes at Ichigo who didn't look the least remorseful at that jab at his sister.

"Ichigo, leave Karin alone," Isshin said firmly from his bed. "A better brother offers advice and support, not I-told-you-so's."

"Sorry, Dad," Ichigo said, instantly looking sufficiently sheepish. He walked over to Karin and put an arm around her shoulders. "Sorry, sis."

Rukia's heart swelled as she watched Ichigo smile broadly at his sister until she couldn't resist anymore and smiled back, laughing and smacking him playfully on the chest. Despite his occasional arrogance, Ichigo was a good son and brother and his family was very lucky to have him.

\- He'll make a great husband and father. Some other lucky girl will agree with you someday. -

Pain clenched her heart and she quickly quelled the feeling away. She had a year with Ichigo, a year she'd decided on their wedding night, to make the most of including what they could have between the two of them and she wasn't going to waste any moment of it wondering about his future with someone else.

\- Its a risk for your heart but remember, he can fall in love with you just as you can fall in love with him. You just have to hope it happens to the both of you and preferably at the same time. -

She inwardly sighed at her thoughts. As much as she'd like to hope, there was a saying: the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

.

.

Dinner had been a pleasant and relaxed affair. The food was great, the conversations were full of light banter and fun stories. It was around seven in the evening when Isshin told them to head home early. Nel and Karin usually stayed with him in the evenings but Ichigo and Rukia had been lingering with them after dinner in the past couple of nights that they normally didn't make it home until about ten.

Once they'd arrive at Ichigo's condo. Rukia showered for a few minutes then when she was done, she slipped on a fresh pair of lacy boyleg panties, a loose tank top and a thick, white terry cloth bathrobe. She towel-dried her hair until it was only damp. She put on her moisturizer and brushed her teeth before making her way barefoot to Ichigo's office.

It was a large room with a massive oak desk flanked by two floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on each side behind it. The only illumination in the room came from the light sconces on the walls and the city lights filtering through the large bay window behind the desk. Her husband was sitting in his chair, his head bent and his attention focused on his computer screen.

"Is this a mausoleum or what?." She said, pausing by the door and looking around until she found the audio controls mounted on the wall. The entire suite was wired with speakers and each room had a very similar control panel.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked distractedly as she punched her way to the playlist selection and chose the one she'd uploaded yesterday. The first track started to fill the room.

"Its too quiet in here. With your desk the size of a dance floor, I'd expected a party," Rukia said as she walked over to his desk, peering at the papers he had spread around the piano-sized desk. "This must explain why your social skills were pretty rusty when we first met. Your work constantly turns you into a mechanical robot."

He lifted his eyes from the screen to smirk at her. "I don't imagine what else a robot can be but mechanical."

"Smartass." She wrinkled her nose at him as she lifted herself up and over his desk, her legs dangling on the side. "By the way, I wanted to tell you. The esteemed Lady Royals Society invited me to their tea party next week."

His brows shot up mildly in surprise. "That was fast. Its good though. I expected their group would want to include the new Mrs. Kurosaki. God knows it would give them more leverage when they've going after me for funds."

She smiled. "You make them sound like high-class hookers."

Ichigo threw his head back laughing. "If they were, they the most well-dressed, expensively educated and socially well-trained hookers there are."

Rukia smiled. "Well, I'll show up. Inoue made a good point saying that this gives me an avenue to do the charity work I've been wanting to do but I think I'll have to do something about these ridiculous membership requirements."

Ichigo grinned. "You sound exactly like what a Mrs. Kurosaki would be, very determined. If you set the course to change or do something, you have it within your means to accomplish it."

She shrugged. "I can talk them into it, persuade them to my side, but that's about all that I have in my arsenal."

Ichigo shook his head. "That's not all. You have me and what influence I could exert over the Society. You have my entire family to back you up. You even have Grimmjow's support. Plus you have generous funds at your disposal."

When she just raised a brow at him, he rambled on. "I opened your charity account already this morning, the same time I transferred your first quarter million in your own bank account."

Her jaw went slack. "I have a quarter million in my bank account?"

Ichigo nodded, smiling wryly at her. "You seemed shocked. It was part of the agreement, wasn't it?"

\- It sure was. Now I truly feel like quarter of a hooker. -

She inwardly sighed and chastised herself for her thoughts.

\- Yes, I'd forgotten about the money because I'd gone ahead with this marriage for entirely different reasons now, it would seem. The money had been the last thing on my mind. -

"Other than your charity account which I will match up to each deposit I'll be making to your bank account until they're of equal value, you also have your own checking account for your personal allowance which Inoue has already been accessing for you," Ichigo continued, drawing her back out of her thoughts. "There should be plenty of money around to give you whatever your heart desires, Rukia, and if it isn't enough, you only have to tell me."

\- What if my heart desires your heart? What will that cost me? -

She let out a long sigh and pressed her lips together. "I already have way too much money than I know what to do with. I was used to a very simple life before you came along, you know? If you didn't come and tempt me with a million dollars, I would've never wanted more than what I thought was realistic."

"It's never wrong to aspire for something better in life, Rukia," he said softly, his eyes kind and gentle." Hope is like a treasure map. You know there' s something great waiting for you at where the X is marked. Even though the journey to get there is tricky and full of dangers and risks, you know it'll be worth it in the end so you go do it anyway."

She didn't disagree. She just decided that some treasures were harder to find than others. Hoping for a perfect happy ending with Ichigo would be like looking for Atlantis and its futile. It was nearly as mythical as the lost city.

\- Which is why you don't think about it. Don't look for what's not there. Just make the best of what you could have, here and now. -

Forcing herself to lighten up and change the topic before she got too maudlin, Rukia smiled and reached over to pick up some important-looking papers off the desk and scanned them. " ... facilities expansion... safety standards... requirements stipulated in the proposal... overarching authority for the operations... blah, blah, blah. Hmmm. Mind-blowing stuff. I can see why you can't resist." She kept reading on, dodging his reach.

"Give it back, please," he said with a visible effort at patience as he held out a hand to her. "I was trying to work, if that wasn't obvious yet."

Rukia held the document out of his reach, pretending keen interest on it as she crossed her legs and leaned back, resting her weight on the heel of her other hand which was propped against the desk. "Oh, it's obvious, alright. Can't miss it if I tried. You look as stern as an evil school principal in those movies made to frighten children into becoming real miserable adults who hate the world and everyone in it."

His mouth twitched with a reluctant smile which he smothered right away. "In that case, I'm tempted to subject you to some kind of disciplinary action right here in my office."

She smiled and raised a brow at him. "That sounds like something that totally shouldn't sound like it."

She hitched her leg up to drape it over the other, causing the robe to slide open enough to reveal much of her bare thighs and a hint of her lace panties. Rukia felt an immense sense of satisfaction watching Ichigo's eyes follow the movements, flaring with heat as they went along. She lightly rested one hand on her knee, flexing her fingers as they slowly traced the line up her thighs in a seemingly casual gesture, which wasn't really casual at all, before lifting it to flip her hair over her shoulder, covering her slightly bare shoulder where the robe had slid off. The neckline had gaped and showed off the inner swell of one of her breasts through the low cut of the tank top, hiding the rest away for imagination.

She wasn't a trained temptress but after over a week of living together, it was easy to figure what tormented Ichigo sexually. If she wasn't enjoying this so much, she'd remember to feel nervous and probably fall off this desk.

"I have a feeling I'm the one being punished here," he croaked in a low, strained voice as he swallowed hard and glanced up to meet her eyes.

Flashing him a crooked smile, She shrugged casually. "Punishment is only for those who don't know how to play the game. For the rest of us, this is merely strategy."

Ichigo groaned and shook his head before hauling her off the desk and down on his lap. She shrieked a little, losing her balance momentarily, but his strong arms easily caught her around the waist and trapped her against his powerful legs as he leaned back against his chair.

"You're a handful, you know that?" he said with a resigned smile. " You're an exasperating, cheeky little troublemaker who will plague me for the rest of my life."

"I would hardly call a year the rest of your life."

"It would be if I were to die before the year's over," he quipped, his hazel eyes bright with teasing. "If not from a heart attack from one of your antics, possibly from a blood clot in certain parts of my body."

Rukia flushed, knowing his unworded implication, but she rolled her eyes in defense. "Yes, body parts like your brain, I'm well aware. I think your overly puffed up chest is to blame. Blocks the blood to the brain."

He laughed and stretched his legs forward to accommodate her weight better."It can't if its going down a different direction."

Her cheeks were warm and probably as red as a baby's diaper rash. "Maybe, we should probably go to bed."

He sighed. "Fifteen more minutes. I just have to read this report."

She shook her head. "You're not even really supposed to be working yet. This is our honeymoon week.

"Ten minutes?" he appealed, giving her the full impact of his puppy dog eyes.

"No,"she said as she scrambled off his lap and climb on the table. "We're going to bed now or I'm dancing."

He looked up at her, his eyes twinkling with laughter. "No, you wouldn't."

Rukia planted her hands on her hips and looked down on him. "I believe I just got taunted with a dare, Mr. Kurosaki. And let me tell you that I, Rukia Kuchiki Kurosaki have never backed down from a dare before." She pinched each side of her robe's skirt and did a deep curtsy, grinning at him. "I believe I shall dance."

"Rukia!" Ichigo groaned, running a hand down his face. "I was just kidding! Get down from there, please, before you hurt yourself."

"Don't be such a grumpy old man, Ichigo," She said, giggling at his mortification as she twirled around his expansive desk, humming and moving to Christina Perri's melodious track Distance which filled the room. It was a slow, light-hearted romantic song the kind that would play as a soundtrack on a Sunday morning while snuggling in bed. "Join me," she said, extending a hand down at him. "Show me you can be fun and spontaneous."

He firmly shook his head. "I would rather not have the desk collapse with my weight, thank you very much."

She winked at him. "Unless you weigh like a tank, you should be fine."

"This is a bad idea," he countered although she could see him eyeing the space around her feet. "Which is probably why the number of times I've danced on table in my entire life is zero."

"Come on, Ichigo. Dance with me."

His hazel eyes were locked in on hers and she could see the smile playing tug-of-war with a scowl he was fighting hard to give her.

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this," he finally said with a loud, exaggerated sigh as rose to his feet and pushed himself up on the desk.

"You don't know that," She said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her close to him, edging them away from his laptop and files and further into the vacant space beyond them.

"You know, the reason I'll regret this is because this desk is going to mean a lot to me now," Ichigo continued, brushing the tip of his nose with hers. "Because you and I slow-danced on it one late evening, with bare feet and in our pajamas, and with the city lights as our audience."

Her heart pounded in her chest just as the sweet, heavy ache settled around it at Ichigo's words. He was smiling down at her, his eyes luminous in the sparse light of the room, his mouth turned up on one corner.

"Is it such a bad thing that you'll regret it?"

He shook his head and brushed a kiss on her lips. "I'll regret it because I've now gotten myself attached to a giant piece of furniture I was already thinking of getting rid of. I can let it go even if it's a piece of history. But I can't let it go if it's a piece of Our history."

\- I think... I think I'm in love. -

She stopped the words before they could slip out. But to say them now would put out whatever was burning between her and Ichigo because to say the truth would complicate the lie.

She just kissed him and tried to tell him without the words.

If she could pick out letters from each touch of his lips, each stroke of his tongue, each of his heartbeat that reverberated through her as they held each other tight, she'd form the three words she secretly wished she would hear him tell her one day.

The music played on as they broke off the kiss. Knowing she was bound to blurt it out if she'd looked longer into his eyes, she lowered her head, pressing her cheek against his chest just as he tucked her head under his chin, his arms wrapped around her, his hand stroking her back gently.

\- I couldn't t be sure how long we danced but it felt like a lifetime. -

* * *

Me: This story is already planned out. ( Thank youuuuu Ninya!) Everything that happens here, every scene has a purpose, every character has a big role for our main characters life. And that's that!

Soooo, what do you guys think about the GrimmNel scene? Or Kaien in this chap? How about the Ichirukiness?

Man! I'm totally addicted reading reviews, pleeease keep em' coming.. *puppy eyes*

Due to my hectic schedule I won't be able to reply ( I can't even read my favorite fics anymore huhuhu ) but if you guys have a question I'll do my best to provide an answer. But it Depends on the question, hehehe OK? I don't want to spoil the story anymore, seeing that most of your guesses are accurate. Well, that's what happens when I have YOU Intelligent people as a reader. :D makes me soooo darn proud!

A Huge THANKS to: Guest/ JoTerry/ RukiYuki/ Kidzin/ Amethyst hazel/ achalida/ Break blade/ Nolly/ ChocoLava/ Sara1991/ Dorothytd/ Jobananasan/ Insomiac1970/ Cc/ Ichiruki4vr/ Mbravesgirl7/ Guest/ han-ichiruki/ Uin/ Ichirukifan94/ Christopher/ Guest/ anonymous2234/ blissbeat/ Yemex/Gin/ Guest and Only Luna, for the wonderful reviews. You guys are the best!

Once again I want to welcome a new reader/reviewer:

Dorothytd

Ichirukifan94

Yemex


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the Favs and Follows!

*A special shout out to 'Ulquiorra9000' for literally reviewing in every chapter! You are the most amazing person ever! Thanks so much!

*This chapter is dedicated to 'Jobananasan' for requesting the 'Lady Royals Society' meeting. And for guessing almost everything right! Wow! I was speechless after reading your review! Kudos to you!*

Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen:

* * *

"How do I look?" She told Inoue for probably the sixth time that afternoon as she stared herself at the mirror by the living room. Inoue and Rangiku insisted Rukia dress in signature Lady Royals fashion, pastels, pearls and pumps for the tea party. As if the three P's weren't enough, Inoue had to coach her on tea party etiquette.

"You look fresh, refined and lovely."

"You look like a 'Lady Royal' but still very much what I'd expect of Rukia Kurosaki," Rangiku added, smirking.

She took a deep breath as she turned away from the mirror and faced the other girls."Well, we can at least count on my last name to get me through the door. Let's just hope they don't kick me out before we can sit down for tea."

"You'll be fine, Rukia-san." Inoue reassured her as she picked up the hostess gifts she was taking with her. "Just remember to count to ten before you say anything really important just in case it sounds different when you say from how it sounds in your head."

"Got it," Rukia said with a firm nod. "And no clanking noise when stirring. Let the tea spoon touch only the bottom of the cup but never the walls. Do no more than five graceful swirls and don't lick the spoon." She glanced at Inoue with her brows furrowed. "I remembered all the important parts, didn't I?"

The bubbly woman nodded encouragingly. "You did. You're not uncivilized, Rukia-san. You have good manners."

She squared her shoulders. "Even though I obviously don't have the required refined set of them, I'll just wing it. No guts, no glory, right? I'm all out, ladies. Balls to the wall!"

Rangiku chuckled. " You may want to avoid using terms like, wing it and balls to the wall. They don't quite go with the whole Lady Royals rule book. Just saying."

"Right," Rukia said, flushing a little. " If they did, they'd be more fun."

"And you know the board members names and profiles by heart so you can easily start a conversation with them and show that you've taken interest," Inoue added as she led them to the door. " You're being invited at a vital time because their new chairwoman is going to be announced today. It could be anyone from the current board, depending on the vote. After they declare it internally, they will do a press release and conduct the officiating rite a week from now. That's also when they announce new members of the board."

Rukia secretly groaned at the mention of the board members because one of them was a woman named Hallibel who inconveniently happened to be Riruka's best friend. According to the profile report Inoue put together for her about the Society, Riruka had become a member as well but stopped actively participating after she got busy starting her own business.

It relieved her that Riruka would most likely not be at today's tea party and she was crossing her fingers that her friend wouldn't be an issue.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Rukia said with a stiff nod before following Inoue out of the penthouse to the waiting car.

They dropped Rangiku off along the way and she fought the urge to ask Inoue to accompany her to the tea party for the rest of their drive to the venue — an old mansion that had been declared a heritage home by the city about ten years ago. Apart from being a tourist destination, it also functioned as the official headquarters of the Lady Royals since it was owned by the family of one of the Society's founding members.

"We'll come pick you up around four, okay?" Inoue told her with a smile as Ikkaku pulled over by the front steps of the mansion. "Call if you need us sooner or later than that.

"I will.'' Rukia took a deep breath before scrambling out of the car after Ikkaku opened the door for her.

He walked her to the front door where a smartly-dressed, aging doorman greeted her in such a flat, lifeless fashion it was almost catatonic. He took the gifts she brought and led her down the hall to the large solarium where a half dozen chairs were circled together around an oval table draped in white cloth with intricate embroidered edges. And pretty china tea cups were spread out on the table, enjoyed by the women gathered around it.

Their conversation paused when Rukia appeared at the doorway and she swallowed hard before smiling at them broadly while secretly surveying each of their faces.

There were seven of them, all wearing the same 'Lady Royal' outfits but with different colors and design. Her eyes focused on a very familiar pink head wearing a sorbet-yellow mod dress — Riruka Dokugamine.

She looked up at her with her eyes rounded in surprise and Rukia fought not to let her jaw drop open in front of everyone.

"Oh, hello," One short-haired blond she instantly recognized as Hallibel, greeted her as she rose from her seat. "Rukia Kurosaki, what a pleasure," Hallibel said as everyone else took their turn to appraise her. "We were wondering whether you were still going to join us today since we'd started about half an hour ago."

Rukia frowned and glanced at her watch. "It's one-fifty-five. The invite said two p.m."

Hallibel's brows arched delicately, her smile tight with impatience. "The tea party was scheduled for one-thirty. I mean, if everyone else showed up at that time, it must be correct. We certainly understand if you were held up. It must've been something very important. You could have hardly meant to be tardy to a Lady Royal tea party, if you follow my meaning."

Rukia's fist clenched. "I'm not tardy. I have the invite in my purse if you care to look at it.

Hallibel smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, please, it's not a big deal. We could hardly peer at a diamond when it's not big enough to matter, right? Besides, you're not even a member yet so no crime has been committed. And as I've said, we completely understand. There's no need to apologize."

Rukia raised a brow. "I certainly don't recall apologizing in the last thirty seconds since I've stepped into this room so there's no need to liberate me from the necessity of it. Are you sure you're following me in this conversation?"

Silence filled the room and that wasn't a good thing.

"I'm Tier Hallibel, the newest chairwoman of the Lady Royals Society as of today," she said as if that answered Rukia's question, which it didn't. "You would've learned that if you had arrived on time."

"Congratulations," Rukia said slowly and calmly, lifting her chin up at Hallibel. "Clearly, you've already made huge strides in being a true political leader, artificially charming, outright manipulative and a practiced prevaricator who can whistle lies through her teeth."

Gasps erupted all over the room and Hallibel's face blanched before the blood rushed back beneath the surface of her tanned skin.

\- I am too pissed off to play it nice. If they sought to intimidate me by sending me an incorrect invitation and bully me enough that I wouldn't even bring it up, they clearly had no idea who they were messing with. -

With her shoulders squared, Rukia whipped out the invitation from her clutch and slapped it on the surface of the table before sliding it forward, her eyes never wavering from Hallibel's.

"Being caught in a lie is like being a fish caught in a hook, the more you struggle away from it, the more likely you'll lose your head or your intestines" She said with a smirk. "I'd feel sorry for you if you weren't so predictable.

She turned away from Hallibel and faced the other women, flashing them a broad, sunny smile. "Since I'm inclined to believe in the good nature of mankind, I'll assume that no one else knew of that sloppy trick to make me look bad on my first meeting with you ladies so I'll start over. My name is Rukia Kurosaki. I'm honored to have been invited as a guest to your tea party today. I'm very interested in the work you do when you're not busy instigating juvenile catfights and I'd be happy to help out where you can use my assistance."

"You have no right to insult us like this!" Hallibel, who seemed to have recovered her speech, snarled from behind her.

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it."

"I am the leader of this Society!" she practically yelled and Rukia felt the urge to take cover before this blister burst and spewed puss and all kinds of disgusting things all over them.

She grimaced and glanced back at the other members who were sharing an almost uniform expression of disbelief and shock, even Riruka, except for a tall, black short-haired woman who was sitting back smiling, her eyes shimmering with laughter. The fact that someone was seeing the humor in the situation other than herself made Rukia instantly feel better.

She grinned. "I think some of you may have to reassure Hallibel of her new post here since she doesn't seem to believe it. I mean, she keeps saying it. It probably hasn't sunk in yet.

"How dare you say that to her!" Another member said. "We invited you here as a courtesy to the Kurosaki's but Hallibel-sama was sure that you wouldn't fit in well with the group and we can clearly see that now. You're insolent and disrespectful!"

\- Hallibel - sama? -

"Don't let her get you so riled up Apacci." Another woman, calmly said.

"Shut your freaking hole, Mila Rose."

"Please refrain yourselves. It makes you look weak when you guys do that."

"Shut up! Sung-sun!"

Rukia sighed, knowing that there was no stopping her now. " I appreciate the tact you admit your motive with considering how disrespectful it is to slap it on someone's face just how uninterested you are in their company and make it sound as if you're doing them a favor by putting up with it anyway. No disrespect intended but I think at this point, it's hardly fair to call out my insolence when your prejudice provoked it."

"We are an esteemed society of female philanthropists and you would do well to remember that!" another member, spoke up sharply. "We don't just pick up the next trailer trash to have stumbled into the marital bed with a rich man."

\- Wow. Clearly, someone's dug my hole so deep I just plunged right into it when I walked in here today. Unbelievable. I never even had a chance. -

Rukia thought of how Ichigo would be so disappointed in her for blowing this but she fought the pinpricks of tears in her eyes and thrust her chin up.

\- He'd be more disappointed in me if I let them walk all over me. -

Tilting her chin up, Rukia said in a calm voice. "It's a real pity that the only charity you all seem to be capable of is limited to your glitzy fundraisers and cozy tea parties. If you can't even be charitable to others with less impressive backgrounds than yours, I can't figure out why else you would do your philanthropy if not just to simply make yourselves look better by helping the poor and earn the tax credit for it."

Hallibel started to make some kind of protesting noise but Rukia pinned her with a glare. "As for you, I simply regret that someone of your vindictive nature gained the opportunity to make a difference when all that you seem intent in doing with it is to play the high school queen bee."

She swivelled her gaze over to Riruka who was flushed a deep shade of red, still mute in her seat. What a lovely coward. "If your fight with me is for your friend Riruka, I'm afraid that your crusade is in vain. I did not steal anything that was still hers to have. I did not wish for this to be ugly and I had hoped that you would be better than this but if you're simply taking me down because I happened to marry Ichigo, I suggest you give it up. Whether my last name is Kuchiki or Kurosaki, whether I sleep in my old, ratty double bed or in a king size thirty floors up in the sky, whether I'm in heels or sneakers, I'm the same girl I've always been the kind who will not stand down because you feel like kicking me around. I will kick you right back and it will hurt."

Her heart beating rapidly from the dangerous excitement of her declaration, Rukia straightened her shoulders and gave them a half-smile." When you've learned to be better than a bunch of petty hypocrites, look me up, I might be interested to help you then."

With that, she turned and strode out of the house, walking until she found herself strolling toward downtown which was only a few blocks away.

Despite her famous last words from that tea party, Rukia felt defeated, mostly because she didn't even get a chance. She shouldn't have been surprised though. Having read about the Lady Royals from gossips online, she had known that they wouldn't welcome her with open arms. Despite their claims to charity, most of them had reputations for being prissy and arrogant but she had always been the type to cut most people some slack and she thought she could manage that with them.

\- The only problem with giving people a chance is that they don't always return the favor. -

Rukia wondered how she would tell Ichigo. She wondered how she would tell Inoue. She would be devastated. She had such great faith that the Royals would meet Rukia and all love her because Inoue thought the world of her.

Determined to feel better, she undid the tight bun of her hair and wiggled it loose. Then wandered around downtown for a good half hour, grateful for the anonymity that reminded her of how simple it used to be just being good, old Rukia.

She went into one of her favorite shoe stores. Rukia used to gaze at some of the pretty shoes here that she couldn't afford before.

"Hello," A young girl greeted her as she surveyed a rack of leather ballet flats. " What can I help you with today?"

"I'm just looking," Was her automatic reply out of habit. She would never even bother the store clerks before with trying on anything because she couldn't afford it then.

The girl smiled at her in understanding and nodded to her shoes. "Those booties are fabulous. I saw them in a couple of magazines. They're one of this seasons most coveted pairs and they're crazy expensive."

Rukia felt herself blush because she didn't really know how to react properly. She didn't even know how much the shoes cost. "Um, thanks." Knowing that the girl could probably use some commission on a slow day like this, she pointed to another rack that featured the different sneakers they carried. "I'd like a pair of those high-top Chucks in white and women's size six and a half, please."

Surprise flickered across the girl's face but she quickly recovered her composure and nodded before heading to the back room. Twenty minutes later, Rukia emerged from the store wearing her new pair of Chucks and carrying her booties in a paper bag where she tossed in, her clutch as well. She took out her phone and texted Ichigo.

[Hey, what u doing right now?]

A minute later,her phone buzzed with his reply.

[Big meeting about a possible acquisition. Been at it since this morning. How's your tea party?]

She resisted the urge to be forthcoming right away. He was in an important meeting and she didn't want to distract him with her problems.

[Done. Can I come to ur office? I'll wait till ur done. I'm in downtown anyway.]

[OK. Done for the day after this but it might be another hour. We can dine out after. I'm starving.]

[Sure. How many ppl u meeting with?]

[Six. Why?]

[Just curious. OK. See u soon! Kiss!]

[Kiss. Kiss again. And again.]

[Get back 2 work, u lazy bum. =P]

[Yes, ma'am. =P]

Rukia grinned, imagining Ichigo's expression as he interrupted his meeting to send her silly replies. Spotting the Kurosaki Towers a short distance away, she headed toward it with a renewed sense of purpose. She stopped by one of her favorite pizza places, and grabbed two large pizzas and a dozen-pack of soft drinks. Working at Urahara's trained her on hefting large and heavy orders in her arms.

It wasn't until she walked through the front door and faced a reception/security desk that stood between the turnstiles that she realized she'd never even been inside the building before and she had no ID or security pass of any sort.

A tall, intimidating man with a 69 tattoo on his face, looked up and frowned at her and the stack of pizza she had her chin perched on. "You need to call the number of the person who ordered the pizza because they're expected to come down and pick it up on their own," he said without preliminaries.

\- Really? You think I'm a pizza delivery person? Who goes around delivering pizza in a dress and enough pearls to buy a luxury car with them? -

Rukia fixed the smile back on her face and glanced at the name tag pinned on his shirt. "Hello, uh Hisagi-san. I'm not really here to deliver pizza." He raised a brow at her. " I mean, not technically like a pizza delivery guy, or girl. You see, I'm here to see my husband, he's in a meeting and I'm bringing him some food as a surprise since they've been at it since this morning apparently. I don't know where his office is. I've never been here before."

"And what's his name?" Hisagi asked, exhaling sharply as if he was drawing for patience from some inner well.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

Hisagi looked at her with a You're-shitting-me face.

-I wish I were, buddy. I wish I were.-

"Can I see some ID please?" he asked warily. Rukia would guess from his cautiousness that he was probably aware that his boss had married but since he didn't seem the type to read the gossip rags, he probably had no idea who the new Mrs. Kurosaki was.

"Sure," she said, placing the pizza boxes on the counter and digging into her clutch for her mini-wallet. Since she didn't have a driver's license, she usually provided her passport as photo ID but she didn't bring that with her today. She pulled out a credit card that Inoue gave her instead.

"Here you go,"

He took it and with narrowed eyes, looked up at her in question. "It says Rukia Kuchiki."

She bit her bottom lip. "Yes, well, I haven't had a name change yet. I just got married a couple weeks ago and a lot of things were going on. My assistant is getting it all done by the end of this week. She's been hounding me for it but I've just been so busy."

Hisagi didn't seem swayed by her explanation. "This is a credit card."

"I know that. It's a black credit card, you see? It's supposed to mean something. Apparently, really rich people have it. If I was just a pizza delivery person, would I have one?"

"It depends whether a certain Rukia Kuchiki is missing a credit card somewhere," Hisagi replied baldly, handing her back her card. "You're going to have to do better than that, miss. There's no food delivery past this door unless you have authorization. I asked for ID and that's what I'll need to see if we're going anywhere with this," he said sternly. "I am not looking at your credit cards or anything else that doesn't qualify as ID."

"Fine, fine," Rukia muttered with a loud sigh. " Alright. How about you give Tatsuki a call? She's Ichigo's personal assistant. She knows me."

Rukia had only met the woman a couple of times and she was like the female version of Hisagi actually, now that she come to think of it.

Hisagi's brows furrowed. "I don't disturb Ms. Arisawa unless it's something she's directly dealing with. I haven't received any memo from her detailing your arrival."

She glared at him. "Of course not. Didn't you hear what I said earlier? I said it was a surprise. Who announces they're coming when it's a surprise?"

When Hisagi's expression just tightened, she shook her head and scrolled through the contacts list on her phone. "I'd really hate to do this but you're not giving me any choice."

She called Ichigo's office number and after a couple of rings, Tatsuki Arisawa picked up. "Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki's office, how may I help you?"

"Hey, Tatsuki!" Rukia greeted brightly and loudly enough for Hisagi not to miss a single word. "Its me, Rukia. I'm just down here at the front lobby actually. I brought food for Ichigo's meeting but I don't have any ID with me or anything I can use to get through security. Could you please let me in or something? I don't mean to impose but I just didn't want to stand here and wait with the pizza or it'll get cold."

"Rukia!" Tatsuki said in surprise. "Of course. I'll call the front desk. Don't you worry. Hang on, please. I'll just put you on hold while I make that call."

She kept the phone to her ear as the hold music played and smiled sweetly at Hisagi. It wasn't her intention to throw her weight around but he wouldn't even bother to inquire about her and whether she was telling the truth or not.

The front desk phone rang and Hisagi eyed it nervously before picking it up. "Yes, Ms. Arisawa. "he replied into the receiver, a thin film of sweat forming on his upper lip. "I understand. Yes. I apologize. Yes, I will. Thank you. Alright, bye."

Tatsuki came back on the line with her as Hisagi lowered the phone back to its cradle. "You're cleared, Rukia. I'll make sure to have facilities and security updated with your info so this never happens again. I apologize if you had a hard time."

"Don't worry about it, I totally understand that Hisagi-san is just doing his job. I'm good now so thanks. I'll see you in a bit."

She hung up with Tatsuki and grinned at Hisagi. "I'm so glad we sorted that out, Hisagi-san. I'm sorry for the trouble but I couldn't think of anything else."

"I apologize Mrs. Kurosaki." the man said awkwardly. "I, uh..."

She shook her head. "Please, call me Rukia and don't worry about it. I won't get you into trouble."

"Thank you," he said in obvious relief as he guided her through the turnstiles. "Would you like me to find someone to escort you to the office and help you carry all of this?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks," Rukia told him as she took the pizza from him. "I used to be a waitress in a diner so I have strong arms. By the way, how do I find Ichigo's office? I forgot to ask Tatsuki."

"Twenty-ninth floor. Turn right when you arrive at the lobby. The hall leading to it is labeled."

"Awesome, thanks!" She gave him whatever wave she could manage before walking toward the bank of elevators.

Following Hisagi's directions, she walked down the hall on the right and stepped in through the open office door until she saw Tatsuki look up from a desk.

"Hi!" She flashed the woman a big smile as Tatsuki stood up to help her.

"That's Ichigo's office there," Tatsuki said, pointing to a closed, heavy oak door. " You can go in and freshen up or wait for him there. It's up to you. His meeting is in a conference room just down the next hall."

"I was hoping to serve the pizza," she told Tatsuki as she propped one box open. "If it's too much food, we can leave some here and whoever else wants some can have it. Ichigo said he was starving."

"We did serve lunch earlier but that was about three and a half hours ago and it was mostly just light sandwiches," Tatsuki admitted. "Well, we can grab both boxes and the drinks and go knock on the door. At this point, they might be grateful for the reprieve."

The thing that she liked Tatsuki, even though she had only interacted with her once or twice, was that nothing perturbed her. The woman never looked at her in confusion or thought that she was crazy or something.

Together, they toted the pizza boxes and the soft drinks down the hall.

"Maybe you should let me go first in case he gets totally pissed and blows up for the interruption," Rukia told her as they paused by the door. "I can take the full impact."

A rare smile curved on Tatsuki's lips. " Nah. I have no problem with that. You know, I was a substitute teacher in our Dojo class in high school." The woman smirked. "And Ichigo was my student."

Rukia couldn't help but laughed. Poor Ichigo. She knocked but before she gave anyone a chance to answer the door, she pushed the knob open and poked her head in. Seven heads sporting scowls turned her way. She grinned and waved. Ichigo was sitting at the head of the table, looking up at a wiry, older man who was in the middle of a presentation. When their eyes met, his expression softened and he smiled so broadly, she felt the tremors of its potent power all the way to her toes wiggling inside her sneakers.

"Rukia!" he said, rising to his feet and coming toward her. "Ladies, gentlemen. Please meet my wife, Rukia. It looks like she came to rescue us with some food. What do you all say? Fifteen-minute break?"

"I could certainly use it," the man who was doing the presentation said dryly, smiling at them. "That pizza smells good."

In the most rushed five minutes she had ever witnessed, Ichigo introduced her to the other people in the meeting before dragging her out of the conference room and down the hall, heading straight for his office.

"I've barely said hi to anyone there," Rukia complained as Ichigo slammed shut the door of his office behind her. "They seemed really nice and ump—"

Ichigo's mouth slanted over hers, smothering the rest of her ramblings as he wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his hips as he walked backwards until they suddenly fell back on a large and comfy leather love seat.

"Thank you for the food and for dragging me out of that meeting," Ichigo said after they finally broke away to catch their breaths. He leaned his head against the backrest of the seat and placed his hands on each side of Rukia's hips.

"I believe you were the one doing the dragging," She said with a smile as she tugged at the moss green tie he had on with his crisp white shirt and dark gray business suit. "Long day, huh?"

Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes briefly. "Yeah. With Dad being pretty much hands-off now on the executive board, a lot of the decision-making is left up to me. I've been sitting there so bored out of my mind already. All I kept thinking about was coming home to see you."

Her heart gave a fierce kick at his words. It became a mad thrashing when he softly smiled at her as he nudged aside a lock of her hair and brushed her cheek with his thumb. He gave her a confused look as he twisted to the side to look behind her. "Did you wear these sneakers to the tea party?"

At the mention of the epic fail of a tea party, her heart sank.

"No. I bought these after the tea party. I went shoe shopping.''

"Is this it or do you have a whole cart of shoes stowed away somewhere?"

Rukia wrinkled her nose. "No, this is it."

"You went shoe shopping and bought a pair of Converse sneakers?" he asked, chuckling. "You have money to spend and that's all you got?"

"What should I spend my money on? Hookers and blow?"

Ichigo's eyes widened but he just laughed harder. "Rukia, I swear, you're killing me."

"I can kill you for real, if you'd like," she snapped, glaring at him.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, don't get me wrong. I thought I would never hear myself say this but I actually adore you in these sneakers. It's just that when my sisters used to tell Dad they went shoe shopping before, I would always see him break out into cold sweat a little bit."

"They're my comfort shoes, okay? Rangiku-san said shoe shopping always makes her feel better so I figured she meant she would buy her favorite pair of shoes kind of like when you eat your favorite comfort food to feel better."

Ichigo's laughter stopped abruptly and he frowned at her. "What happened, Rukia?"

She just shook her head and sagged against Ichigo's chest. "Nothing."

He cupped her shoulders and gently pushed her back up so he could look at her. His expression was tender and kind. ,"Hey,what's wrong? Tell me what happened. Please."

Rukia chewed on her bottom lip as she deliberated on what to say. Exhaling a sharp breath, she gripped the lapels of Ichigo's suit and muttered, "The Society and I have mutually decided that it is not in either of our best interests to work together."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "Was Riruka there? Did she do anything to you?"

She let out a dry, ironic laugh. "Oh, she was there but she did nothing. The Society as a whole just isn't really the right kind of place for me so I'm sorry that you're not getting a Mrs. Kurosaki on that board. I'm afraid I just can't do it."

"I don't care if you get on that board or not," he replied, scowling. "I hope you didn't push yourself with this thinking that you owe it to me to join the Royals. I thought maybe spending time with those women will help you navigate this world better and gain you some friends but if they're only going to make you miserable, I would take you out of the group myself."

She gave her husband a tremulous smile but he wasn't done yet. His expression was fierce and his hazel eyes were flashing angrily. "In fact, I'll make sure we don't associate with them completely. Let them see just how much they needed the Kurosaki's"

\- The Kurosaki's. Like the two of us. God, I love this man. -

"It's alright, Don't withdraw your support from meaningful charity work just for my defense. I'm afraid that I didn't try very hard to resolve the issue myself either. I might have gotten a little mouthy with them. In the end, I was just happy to get out of there. The long walk gave me a lot of time to think about it."

"Inoue and Ikkaku have no idea you're here, do they?"

"No,'' she admitted. "I'll call them in a bit. I was just having a bad day. I thought I'd come see you."

Their gazes held for a moment before he sat up straight and pulled her close, their foreheads touching. "Whenever you're having a bad day, you come and see me, okay?"

She smiled. "Thank you, Ichigo. I do feel much better."

He rubbed the small of her back. "I'll get back to that meeting and wrap up and then we're going to go. We'll go somewhere, do something, eat whatever you'd like for dinner it's totally up to you."

She beamed at him as he lifted her up with him when he rose from the seat. "Okay."

He kissed her forehead and lowered her back on the floor. "Stay here if you like or go exploring but bring your phone. I'll probably only be just another half hour."

"No rush, hotshot, I understand that there are multi-million-dollar mergers still to be made. I can wait."

"Stay out of trouble!" was Ichigo's parting shot before he closed the door behind him. As soon as silence filled the room, Rukia went and stood by the large glass window that overlooked the city, marvelling at the beauty of it and wondering if she'd ever seen it from this height.

Including your life.

Today's Lady Royals catastrophe was her first real obstacle in being a true Mrs. Kurosaki as Ichigo had envisioned. But she doesn't have to be that way.

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, fill a tall glass, hold it up and say cheers," Rukia mumbled with a firm nod at her resolve before turning away from the window and heading out of the office. She grabbed her clutch and texted Inoue about her whereabouts before stepping out. She assured Tatsuki that she would stay out of people's way while looking around and popped into the elevator. Ten minutes and with directions from a couple of random employees later, Rukia found herself in the rec room. Apart from a scattering of bean bag chairs and sofas, it also featured an epic big screen TV, an assortment of video game consoles, an arcade basketball station, a ping-pong table and a foosball table.

A handful of people had been hanging out there when she came in, mostly guys from IT. She was taking her turn shooting hoops while the guys stood behind her when Keigo came up next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I've got to get back to work, sweet pea, but I can certainly hang out with you again later," he said in typical attempt at a smooth maneuver, winking at her. He'd been blatantly flirting with her since she first approached their group with some mild interest in conversation and despite the others' constant jeering of him and her own dismissal of him, he still didn't seem capable of taking a hint.

"Er, no, thanks," She said with a shake of her head. "I told you I'm just waiting for my hus—"

"Why don't you give me your number and we can get together?" he asked, oozing extra charm on his over-practiced smile as she tried to wiggle away from him without causing a scene.

"Why don't you take your arm off my wife and I let you keep your job and the arm?"

All their heads rotated to the side at the sound of the gruff, menacing voice and found Ichigo standing there a few feet away from them, jacket-less with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his eyes blazing and his jaw taut from the scowl he wore.

Keigo yanked his arm away from her as if the contact burned him. From the way his eyes bugged out with recognition as he stared agape at Ichigo, she figured he felt like he was about to be raked over the coals.

"M-Mr. uh... Mr. Kurosaki, I, uh..."

Rukia went over to Ichigo and squeezed his hand out of the fist he'd curled it into. "I was just passing some time waiting for you and the guys were nice enough to include me in the game." While she sputtered on with the names, he had slinked his arm behind her waist and pulled her not so subtly against his side.

"so yeah, great game, guys. See ya! Toodles!" She inwardly cringed at the last word which she picked up from Inoue, who even really knew what the word meant?

"Why didn't you tell them you were married to me?" he finally demanded in a low, sulky tone, his lips pressing together into a tight line. He'd stopped in the middle of the front lobby where a few employees milling about had turned to look.

"The last thing I wanted was to be regarded as someone completely unapproachable because I felt it important enough to point out to them that I was married to the boss," She told him with an indulgent smile, her fingers catching the sides of his white shirt as she tiptoed closer to him.

His brows furrowed as he studied her for a moment. "Are you sure they didn't do anything terrible?"

"Oh, they did," Rukia said with a shrug and a mock-serious expression. "They called me all sorts of rude names because I was kicking their butts. But I sympathize with sour grapes, you know? Since they can't have what they want, I let them have their misery at the very least. I'm generous that way."

A second passed before Ichigo broke into a grin that cleared the clouds from his expression. "You're trouble but you're my trouble," he said as he shook his head and slung his arm around her, steering them toward the front door. " Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?" She asked, slipping her arm behind his waist. They passed by the front desk where Hisagi was still stationed and she smiled and waved at him. He looked uncomfortable for a moment but gave them a brief nod of acknowledgement. "Where's your car?"

Ichigo pressed the tip of his nose on her temple as they came down the front steps. "The car will be wherever we wish to be picked up later."

Rukia looked up at him with her brows scrunched up in confusion. "Okay. Why? What are we doing?"

He gave her a smile a near match of the bright afternoon sun. "We're going on our first date."

She skidded to a halt at his words, her eyes widening. "date?"

"Yeah," he answered with a shrug although a shy shade of pink tinged his cheeks. "We haven't been out on one just for the sake of going on a date."

\- That's because our marriage is a practical business arrangement. Business partners don't go out on dates. -

"Why?.."

"We'll most people go out on dates to get to know each other better. And I want to get to know you more.'' He gazed at her warily, his amber eyes hopeful but nervous. "Would you? Go out on a date with me?"

Rukia's heartbeat sped up so fast it felt like it would take off any moment. She grinned and nodded slowly. "Yes, I'd love to."

He smiled and lifted her off her feet for a slow, sweet kiss.

* * *

Thank You: JoTerry / RukiYuki/ THing/ achalida/ Nolly/ Ichiruki4vr/ 2Unknown4U/ Break blade/ Guest/ Amethysthazel/ Guest/ Gooeystar83/ Jobananasan/ Verlorem im licht/ EUeu/ Uin/ Guest/ anonymous2234/ Insomiac970/ only luna/ Cc/ blissbeat and Peachberrylove For the awesome reviews! Thanks for your support guys!

Nolly: aww, what a nice thing to say. To answer ur question, Yes Byakuya is already in my list of characters. Renji? Still, thinking about it and other characters will have a minor role like Tatsuki.:)

Peachberrylove: Hi! Sorry, but you wont be able to read his thoughts for a while. Will you wait with me? Pretty please. :)

Guest: There will more HitsuKarin, dont u worryworry. ;)

More intelligent people! Welcome to our fic: 2unknown4U, EUeu and Peachberrylove.


	16. Chapter 16

I'm missy stepsister. I don't speak English but I tried to learn just so I could relay this message to you her readers. I'm sorry to say this but Missy Died last night in a accident. she was coming from school when the bus she rode hit another vehicle it was sudden just yesterday she happily showing me her reviews in her story and and now her body is in our house in coffin

Im still in shock right now. I still can't believe it our Misha is gone she was more than sister to me a bestfriend too. She was like the Rukia she portray in this story. Humble brave witty very simple in life.

I have read your reviews and i thought that I should let you know. She loves you everyone. When she was having a hard time she reads reviews and she's better and she was so guilty that she was unable to update because she's busy with school

Misha is a very bright child cheerful i am so sad i won't see her smile again.

You Amethyst hazel , Misha keeps talking about you every time we have dinner, she wanted to encourage you for your writing and very proud of yor improvement

Do you want me to delete this story its up to you her readets

I hope you understands my english and thank you for making misha happy in this world for your reviews. It means a lot to her. God bless and thank you.


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you everyone for your warm response i cried so hard after readingit. I remember those times i would catch her smiling to herself when she read reviews

I know God has a reason for taking her from us. Life is very short everyone choose carefully what you do in life and makes sure its right. Always pray for safety and protection from our lord Jesus because the world is very dangerous. Always tell your love ones how much you love them before its too late before you go to school or work in the morning . you wouldn't know that might be your last time.

As for the story I won't delete it misha wouldnt want me to. Thursday is her burial and i have a small request

If you have a last message to misha send it via pm and I will read every message in her burial. Lets all send her away together i want to include all of you because you all are a big part of misha short young life

This is the last time I'd message everyone. I want to say goodbye everyone and be safe. Don't have hatred in your heart just like misha always said Life is too Short to bear a grudge and it is.


	18. Chapter 18

Misha's burial was yesterday and i wanna thank you all for the messages most people in present was in tears after reading it we didn't know that our misha was very much loved in this site

Again thank you all.

Some of you are wondering about the her story and I want to say , whoever wants to adopt this story you have my permission. Do your best and make our misha happy.

Just want to clear that. Thank you.


	19. Chapter 19

Found this on Misha files its her birtday today

Rukia had never been out on a date before but starting out one with ice cream seemed like an excellent idea.

They walked to a small gelato place and ordered large sugar waffle cones, topped high with assorted ice cream layers. Then they wandered into a street closed off for one of the summer street art markets where all kinds of art pieces, jewelry and crafts were on display stall after stall. She bought a blue-green and white tie-dye scarf and a gray trucker cap hand painted with watercolor flowers on the front. A thick plastic film was layered over it to protect it from water and to give it a nice shiny surface. Ichigo strolled over to a few different stalls while she looked through the scarves but came back empty-handed.

It was around five-thirty when Ichigo declared they should probably have dinner. And by dinner he meant a full, sit-down meal at a fancy restaurant somewhere with all the works but Rukia had something else in mind.

They walked a couple of blocks and bought some barbecue pork steamed buns and some bubble tea from a food truck set up next to a sidewalk.

"I'm not sure if buying street food is the way to go on a first date," Ichigo said as he looked at their food thoughtfully before taking a tentative bite.

She smiled at him lopsidedly through a mouthful of rice bun which took a while to swallow. "I don't think proper dates always have to be fancy. They just have to be fun."

He took a long sip of the bubble tea (which he'd admitted he'd never tried before) and smiled back at her as they started their walk to the Public Garden. "If I had more time to plan this, I would've probably booked an entire movie house for just the two of us or arranged for a carriage ride to a fancy restaurant or something movie-worthy like that."

Rukia touched the side of her head to his arm briefly as they walked. " I'm just an ordinary girl, Ichigo. I don't need a mega-production."

"There is nothing ordinary about you, Rukia," he said, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head. "It's the only way I can explain how I feel about you."

Rukia wished she had the guts to ask him to expound on that statement but she was just as afraid of the truth as she was of the lies so she chose not to say anything and cherish the moment instead.

They spent the rest of the evening strolling around the Public Garden, standing by the bridge and leaning against the railing with Ichigo's arms wrapped around her from behind as they gazed out to the water.

Holding hands, they made their way out of the park to where Ichigos driver, Kenpachi, was waiting on the side of the street with the car.

Later that night, once they were in bed with Rukias head propped on Ichigos shoulder as he held up the book they had started reading together a few nights ago, he reached over to his side before dangling a small red pouch in front of her

"Whats that? She asked, glancing up at him.

"Something I got for us from the art market earlier," he said as he slowly sat them both up, setting aside the book and taking her palm to place the pouch on it. " I had to get it rushed by the artist who delivered it here half an hour ago.

"Oh," she said in surprise, remembering the call from the concierge about a delivery. Ichigo had mumbled something about it being from work before he went downstairs to get it.

"Can I open it?"

He nodded and waited as she loosened the tie and widened the opening of the bag. Something metallic glinted against the light.

They were two narrow white gold cuffs with a plain design except for one of their ends. The first cuff had one end flowing into a script letter R and another into I. The larger one had the letter R and the smaller one had I.

Inside each cuff, on the smooth surface under the band, was a line freshly engraved in old-fashioned script. Rukia held both cuffs up to read the matching inscriptions.

...for the first date that will last forever...

Her heart surged through a flash flood of emotions, swam hard against the overwhelming currents, and drowned spectacularly.

"Based on the tears shining in your eyes, I'm going to assume that you like it," he said with a soft smile as he took the smaller cuff that had I in it and slipped it over her wrist. "The fact that I seemed to have rendered you speechless makes me hope that you love it.

Oh, I love it, alright. Just as I love you

Still unable to form any words except the ones that were right at the tip of her tongue, She picked up the other cuff that had R on it and slipped it over Ichigos wrist, her fingers gently brushing the initial of her name on it which rested inside his wrist, pressed against where his heart pulsed.

"Never forget this day," he said gently as his arms slid around her and pulled her close to him until she was sitting on his lap. " Not because of what happened at the tea party or any of the other reasons that made it a bad day for you."

He tipped up her chin and gazed into her eyes with his luminous hazel ones that were warm with affection. ''I want you to remember this day because it was our first date and we had a lot of fun.

Thank you, Ichigo she murmured as lips quivered into a smile. "I will always remember today. I would never be able to forget it even if I wanted to."

He smiled crookedly. "I hope you'll never find yourself wanting to forget it. Because this is the first date of the rest of our lives."

And with that, he kissed her softly.

Some wars were waged and battled today but only in this moment did I feel like I truly won something worth fighting for.


End file.
